At the end of July, with just one member of the public in attendance, the Metuchen Planning Board approved the final site plan application for the proposed development known as the District at Metuchen.

“We will probably be breaking ground in late spring or summer of 2010, demolish the rest of the buildings, and start building D,” said developer Robert McDaid. “It would take a year to get that building and the parking deck built, so we are at summer to fall 2011 to get that built. [The whole project would take] three to five years from ground-breaking.”

When it is completed, the developer estimates that the mixed use development, billed as a smart growth transit village, will have a market value of $75 million. It is slated to have 150 residential units, of which 11 would be work/live units and 24 would be COAH affordable housing units. There would also be 63,280 sq. ft. of retail commercial space, with a minimum of a grocery store, a bank, an Ace Hardware store, and a restaurant, along with other retail stores.

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The improvements listed below are suggestions presented at a June 2009 Borough Council meeting. Any, all, or none of the following improvements may be subsequently approved by the borough of Metuchen.

At a June 1, 2009 Borough Council meeting, representatives from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and professional engineering firm McCormick Taylor presented the results of a study on how the borough can improve traffic flow at various major intersections around Metuchen.

During peak rush-hours, Route 27 in the Metuchen area sees 1200 to 1500 cars per hour, according to the consultants from McCormick Taylor. In fact, some stretches of Route 27 may see as many as 2000 cars per hour during peak hours. In total, about 15,000 cars a day go through Route 27, plus another 10,000 cars a day on Main Street.

The study was funded by a $700,000 contribution from the developer of the District at Metuchen, according to Andrew Clark of the NJDOT. The study is meant to produce a menu of traffic improvement options that the borough can now analyze and review.

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Where can you get a massage in the local area?
Metuchen Massage at 577 Middlesex Ave in Metuchen 848-260-0406
Aqua Pearl Day Spa at 54 Pearl Street, Metuchen NJ
Body Mechanics Massage Therapy on Woodbridge Avenue in Edison NJ

At a June 1, 2009 Metuchen borough council meeting, councilman William Waldron raised the issue of whether it was possible to provide the general public with more information on the specifics of applications that appear before the Planning Board.

As an example, he mentioned the increasing number of massage parlors that appeared to be opening up in the borough.

“I have noticed recently, and while I applaud business, tax revenues, and the growth of Metuchen, we seem to have become a Mecca for massage parlors,” Waldron said at the meeting. “While that may be a beneficial business, and one that works well within our healthcare system, I think a lot of residents would like to know if they could find out before these matters go before the Planning Board and if we could publicize what the precise application is.”

“Very frequently when someone looks at a Planning Board agenda, it is just ABC Corp. applying for a use variance or what-have-you,” he said. “It is only after we get the minutes that you find out after the fact that they are looking to convert from an insurance company to a massage parlor. I don’t mean to be singling out massage parlors, but I have seen at least two pop up recently. These are legitimate business, but a lot of people are raising eyebrows.”

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