August 6, 1996
Ms. Lynn N. Middleton
Project Manager
Office of Project Management
New Jersey Department of Transportation
1035 Parkway Avenue
CN 600
Trenton, NJ 08625-0600
Dear Ms. Middleton:
On behalf of MSM Regional Council, I am writing to express our strong objections to the proposal to close Washington Road to through traffic and to destroy as many as eleven Princeton elm trees as part of the construction plans for the Millstone By-pass. Although MSM is on record as supporting the By-pass because of the benefits it will bring to the region, to Route 1, and to the Penns Neck community, we feel that these projects can go forward as planned without these destructive elements.
A survey that MSM undertook in collaboration with New Jersey ReLeaf as part of our Mercer County Green Links Project, indicated that many people felt that the canopy of elm trees and stretch of forsythia bushes make that particular stretch of Washington Road one of the region's most outstanding features. This feature, one that makes an unforgettable gateway to Princeton and West Windsor, stands out in an area that has lost so many of its unique characteristics.
It is my recollection that the original consensus on the plans for the Millstone By-pass made around 1988 called for Washington Road to remain open with right turns only, and that the connection, linking Harrison Street and Washington Road, would be on a scale and design similar to Faculty Road. When this agreement was altered, I do not know, but we at MSM find the current proposal to be unacceptable. Keeping Washington Road open, with right turns only, would allow some traffic to travel on this beautiful road. Leaving the road open to the public would also have the benefit of dispersing auto trips into and away from Princeton.
You must know how special the Princeton elm trees truly are, not only because of their beautiful canopy, but because of their special tolerance to the deadly Dutch elm disease. There are very few stands of mature elms anywhere, most having been wiped out by the disease over the last few decades. In fact, it has been brought to my attention that a European broadcasting company recently traveled to Princeton to film this unique group of trees, to document the beauty that was lost to the world when so many graceful elms died. Evidently, Princeton Nurseries has successfully propagated this special elm, which is more tolerant of the disease, and has recently begun to offer saplings in their catalogue. Mature trees, however, like the ones on Washington Road that are part of our cultural landscape, cannot be replaced for many, many years. Upon inspection of the area, it seems clear that there are alternatives available so that the Millstone By-pass project can be designed without destroying the spectacle of these special trees.
In addition to our concerns about Washington Road and the Princeton elm trees, we are concerned about the fevered reaction among residents to rumors about the design of the By-pass and the connecting road between Harrison and Washington Roads. In order to ensure that the By-pass clears up a bottleneck on Route 1 without creating havoc within the surrounding communities, we urge you to make public the design specifications for the project so that people can see and understand them. It would be disastrous if the current hysteria is based upon inaccurate information about the specifications of the design, particularly if it is effective in bringing an otherwise beneficial project to a standstill. Of course, we stand by our position that the road can and should be designed to suit the current and projected traffic levels, and yet it can and should be designed for the speed and traffic pattern that is in keeping with the historic character of the West Windsor and Princeton communities that it will affect.
We will be following the public meetings on this project to air our views. We look forward to hearing your response.
Yours sincerely,
Dianne R. Brake
President
CC: Hon. Frank Wilson, Commissioner, NJDOT
Dr. Harold Shapiro, President, Princeton University
Mr. Eugene McPartland, Vice President for Facilities, Princeton University
Hon. Robert Prunetti, Mercer County Executive
Members of the Mercer County Planning Board
Hon. Thomas Frascella, Mayor, West Windsor Township
Members of the West Windsor Township Council
Members of the West Windsor Planning Board
Members of the West Windsor Environmental Commission
Hon. Michelle Tuck, Mayor, Princeton Township
Hon. Marvin Reed, Mayor, Princeton Borough
Members of the Princeton Regional Planning Board
Members of the Princeton Regional Environmental Commission
Members of the Princeton Township Shade Tree Commission
Members of the Princeton Township Committee
Members of the Princeton Borough Council
Michael D'Errico, New Jersey Forest Service, NJ Department of the Environment
Members of the Mercer County Green Links Project Steering Committee
Members of the MSM Board of Directors