Group To Advise Princeton Council On Massive Mercer Warehouse Project

PRINCETON, NJ – After Lawrence Township, Princeton is planning to take action on the massive warehouse project planned in West Windsor.

Mayor Mark Freda told Patch that Council is in the process of putting together a group to look into the proposed development. After completing their research, the group will then advise Council on what action they should take.

No other details were currently available as Council is just beginning to put the group together.

Community rage boiled over in June when the West Windsor Planning Board approved the massive 5.5- million-square-foot warehouse development on the corner of Route 1 and Quaker Bridge Road. More: Anger Erupts After Approval Of Massive Mercer Co. Warehouse Project

This project has the potential to cause traffic, noise, pollution and other issues in nearby towns like Princeton and Lawrenceville, which are well-connected to Route 1.

Officials in Lawrence Township recently wrote to the County Planning Board and the New Jersey Department of Transportation, expressing their concern over the project.

Requesting a meeting with County officials, Lawrence Township Manager Kevin Nerwinski said they "want to ensure that the impacts are minimized in Lawrence." He requested County officials to include Lawrence Township in the application review process. More: Lawrence 'Deeply Concerned' About Huge Warehouse Project In Mercer Co.

The Bridge point 8 Industrial Park project will include seven warehouse buildings and is expected to be completed in two phases.

Phase I includes developing three warehouses of 3 million square feet and the construction of a new road from the intersection of Quakerbridge Road and Avalon Way through the intersection of Route 1 and Nassau Park Boulevard.

Phase II of the project will see four warehouses be built, measuring 2 million square feet.

The project needs approval from the County's Planning Board before it moves forward.

Residents of West Windsor, Princeton, Lawrenceville, Plainsboro and Hamilton have signed a public petition addressed to the County Planning Board, calling on officials to scrap the project. More: Massive Warehouse Development Faces Mercer County Scrutiny

According to the petition, signed by over 3,000 residents, the project is being built on flood-prone wetlands and is bound to increase truck traffic in the area.

"Separate from flooding, due to the over-paving of our state, and the toxic emissions from ever-idling trucks, there are so many more reasons why this is a terrible idea, but the most impactful is taking the entire area, beyond Mercer, and putting it regularly at a standstill so commuting becomes more horrific, toxic & deadly than it already is, while quality of life further degrades," the petition said.

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