The Run Down: What’s Happening in Cranbury Right Now
September 11 – Cranbury Day and Helene Cody 5K race.
- There will be a special moment to honor those lost on 9/11/2001.
- The Helene Cody 5K course has shifted back to be bounded by South Main Street, Old Trenton Road and Station Road and will start/stop in Heritage Park.
October 2 and 3 is Clean Up Weekend.
- Bring your unwanted items to the DPW Yard at 100 Dey Road
- Hours of operation will be 7:00am to 3:00pm, rain or shine.
- Acceptable materials include household items that are too large to fit inside your trash.
- NO household trash, paint or hazardous waste items will be accepted.
- Open to Cranbury residents only.
Greek Market on Main Street
- Penny Ftkas, owner of Little Owl Enrichment, is also the owner for the Market On Main.
- Opens on Cranbury Day.
Old Trenton and South Main
- Semi-confirmed tenants include a pancake shop, an Italian restaurant, and a Mexican restaurant. Timing is not clear.
Library Construction
- On track for a Summer 2022 completion and grand opening.
Brainerd Lake Dredging
- Dredged will remove sediment for the first time since the 1970s.
- It is NOT a flood prevention project
- Brainerd Lake is really a dammed river (Cranbury Brook), which rises and falls based on the flow from upstream.
- Starts after 9/15/21. Anticipated completion Jan. 2022
- FAQs are posted on the township page (see QR).
Marijuana in Cranbury
- Recreational Dispensaries Prohibited – This summer, the Township Committee agreed unanimously to prohibit all classes of recreational cannabis licenses in Cranbury.
- Existing Medical Dispensary – Cranbury is home to one of the six NJ licensed medical cannabis facilities (grow, production & dispensary); they’ve been in Cranbury for six years and have existed without incident.
Civil Right Committee
- Multiple Initiatives – Mayor Ferrante proposed an initiative to ensure all neighbors feel welcome and invited in our town. Rather than a stand-alone committee, it has been weaved into ongoing initiatives: the Mayor’s Wellness Initiative, the Mayor’s Update including invitations to the LGBTQ event in June, the New Neighbor’s Reception in October, and the mayor personally reaching out to welcome all new residents in August and September.
- Open Government – We will continue to work to improve communications and transparency in Cranbury, and will encourage a broad base of participation in committees, boards, and local volunteer organization.
- Community – Eman El-Badawi is running for office as a “community builder” and is focused on creating opportunities for new and under-represented residents to become engaged in our town.
Flooding
- Unprecedented – The flooding on August 22 was the result of 9 inches of rain in two hours, well above the 500-year benchmark of 8 inches of rain in 24 hours. It was an unprecedented event that was not expected and could not be planned for.
- Township Employees – The township DPW, Police and Fire worked together to ensure no loss of life and no displaced residents.
- Infrastructure – The dam and spillway, completely re-built in 2014, worked as expected and carried billions of gallons of water under and over the road and away from homes and businesses.
- Business Aid – Due to the widespread damage from Hurricane Ida, Governor Murphy issued a Disaster Declaration. Since that declaration, our mayor partnered with the mayors from four of our neighboring towns to get Hurricane Henri disaster relief “bundled” with Hurricane Ida relief, and it appears that the Governor’s office will be linking the two storms, which, if approved, would allow the state to approve a $10 Million EDA grant program for affected businesses. All five Township Committee members approved the letter to our Senators and Congresswoman (QR).
- Homeowner Aid – Aid to affected homeowners may come via FEMA
- Lowering Brainerd Lake – Some residents asked why we didn’t lower the level of Brainerd Lakes prior to the flooding. To lower the lake level, the township needs DEP approval, which typically takes 3 weeks. If the township lowers the lake level without DEP approval, it faces a $10,000 fine per occurrence.