On Monday, October 3rd at 7:00 p.m. the Library Board invites interested community members to a meeting in the Gambino Room to discuss the site plan for the new library and community center.

The architect’s drawings of the new library building have been completed for many months. Last spring  the Library Board went to the Planning Board and Township Committee to seek approval for the conceptual site plan at the end of Park Place West. This plan included the proposed location of the building, adjacent municipal parking lot and sidewalks.

Using the Planning Board and Township Committee feedback, engineers were hired to provide a detailed site plan. On September 15 the Library Board appeared before the Planning Board for final review.  Township professionals, including the Board planner, engineer and traffic consultant, had already reviewed the site plan and presented written feedback. Since this was the final Planning Board review on the site plan, all residents within a certain radius were notified per official/legal requirements. Fifty two Cranbury residents attended the Planning Board meeting. The residents spoke of their enthusiastic support for the library project overall. They did raise concerns, however, about preserving the vista at the end of Park Place West. They pointed out that the Master Plan advocates for the continued protection of scenic vistas and the proposed location of the library, parking lot and planned landscaping compromised this objective.

There was significant acknowledgement from all parties of the partial loss of the scenic vista. The Planning Board agreed to delay final recommendations on the site plan until further engineering analysis can be completed.  They will re-visit this issue at the October 20th Planning Board meeting.