Recently, Princeton amended its residential zoning code, ordinance #2018-24. The ordinance establishes new neighborhood residential zoning standards. The Princeton Future forum explored what the changes mean for Princeton homeowners, and those seeking to buy, sell or renovate a home in Princeton. The forum was held at the Princeton Public Library on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.
Kevin Wilkes, the president of Princeton Future, opened the session. Jud Henderson of Callaway Henderson Realty, and Marty Stockton of Stockton Real Estate then discussed the Princeton real estate market. Architects Maximillian Hayden, Marina Rubina, Kirsten Thoft, and Joshua Zinder participated in a panel to discuss the zoning standards. Before the panel, Hayden also talked about the renovation of a home on Green Street in the Witherspoon-Jackson Historic District of Princeton. The talks included Q&A sessions. More than 100 people attended the forum.
Kevin Wilkes, president of Princeton Future, kicked off the meeting. The following presentations were made:
A look at the future of personal transportation: Dr. Alain L. Kornhauser, Director, Transportation Research, Princeton University
In what new ways should we begin to plan our redevelopment? • What if? planning: David E. Cohen, DEC Architect, Princeton Planning Board
• What is ‘fair’ housing?: Alvin McGowen Esq, Chair, Princeton Affordable Housing
• How can we do it?: Jim Constantine LP, Principal, Looney Ricks Kiss
Then participants broke into groups to discuss 25 sites in four areas:
AREA ONE
1. Old Valley Road School, 8.9 acres – Auction sale and demolition of front half of former Valley Road School for conversion to residential and/or office uses. Should the Princeton Board of Education emerge as the successful bidder for buying the Westminster Choir College campus, then the entire Valley Road school site should be included in the auction for private development.
2. Municipal Building Parking Garage – Building over lot adjacent to Municipal Building to expand parking for municipality visitors and staff, fire department, Community Park School, and Community Park Pool.
3. Race Street Housing – Complete new construction of a row of low- and moderate-income housing units on the north side of Race St. and the edge of the Community Park sports fields.
4. Former Packet Offices & Parking Lots – Complete renovation of printing plant and offices on Lower Witiherspoon St. between Birch Ave. and Community Park School for retail, office, and residential uses including parking.
5. Hillier Properties = Residential and other mixed uses on Hillier-owned properties in Witherspoon-Jackson Historic District.
6. South Side Franklin Ave. – Replacement of Housing Authority’s single-story low-income residential units with three-story residential low-income apartments and townhouses. Includes expansion to include former hospital employees parking lot.
AREA TWO
7. Chambers St. Garage Replacement – Replacement of Palmer Square’s Chambers St. Garage with street-level retail, below-street-level parking, and upper-floor mix of parking, office, and residential uses.
8. Record Exchange, Princeton Printer etc. Replacement of Record Exchange and backs of other adjacent buildings on Nassau St. west of Tulane St. Includes parking garage behind back half of Nassau St. with additional retail, office, and residential uses.
9. Park Place Municipal Parking Lot – Building over existing municipal parking lot (with upper level accessed from Vandeventer and Moore Sts. and lower level accessed from Park Place) with opportunity for multi-story mix of additional retail, office, and residential uses.
10. Chestnut St. Firehouse – Public auction sale following expansion of Witherspoon St. Firehouse and relocation of existing fire apparatus to permit additional retail, office, and residential uses with additional parking based on access to lower level from Chestnut St. and upper level from Nassau St. Requires cooperation of East Nassau property owners.
11. Telephone Co. and Nearby – Plan for change that’s bound to come to bike shop and one-time phone company office with full range of retail, residential, office, and open plaza space to support added affordable housing.
12. Westminster Choir College Campus, 23 acres. It remains to be seen whether Westminster Choir students, affiliated with a different college or university, will remain at its Princeton location. Either way, the campus land may provide a redevelopment opportunity for a mix of residential and educational uses that fit the context of the area and preserves historic buildings and some open space.
AREA THREE
13. Bank of America and Parking Lot – Replacement & reduction of Bank of America & reduction of parking lot to include additional retail, office, and residential uses.
14. Harrison St. Firehouse – Public auction sale following expansion of Witherspoon St. Firehouse and relocation of existing fire apparatus to permit additional retail, office, and residential uses with additional parking.
15. North Harrison St – Following move of First Aid and Rescue Squad to Witherspoon St./Valley Rd. replace adjacent existing houses on N. Harrison St. and Clearview Ave. to provide low-income apartments.
16. Shopping Center – Allow new owners to add second and third floor mix of office and residential uses.
17. Terhune St. Senior Housing- Fulfill plans for senior housing on zoned corner site at Harrison and Terhune Sts.
18. PCH Expansion – Assisting Princeton Community Housing in constructing new rentsubsidized low and moderate income units at its village off Bunn Drive, including a second tower similar to “Holly House.”
19. Lanwin/Herrontown Development – Site of 80 acres off Herrontown Road designed around “clustered”residential units to compensate for steep slopes and bonus for affordable housing.
AREA FOUR
20. Textile Research Institute – Allow additional clustered residential housing units in exchange for dedication of open space for lakeside access and neighborhood park.
21. Butler Tract -33 acres. Encourage replacement similar to clustered sites now being completed at Merwick and Stanworth.
22. Broadmead and Grey Farms – Expand residential development along Broadmead, Valley Rd., and Harrison St. similar to earlier Grey Farms residential development of cottage and apartment housing for faculty.
23. Lower Alexander St. Corridor – Replace existing service and office uses with newer retail, office, and residential uses. Include small-scale short-term apartment rentals for visiting actors, musicians, and other performers at venues for the arts.
24. Karin Court Low-Income Family Housing – Expand low and moderate-income family housing off West Drive below Springdale Golf Course.
25. Springdale Golf Course – 125 acres. As the University ceases to lease the Springdale Golf Course land for a golf course and shifts to other educational, residential, and recreational uses, opportunities open for significant mixed-use development along the west side of the Alexander St. corridor. Or, should it become open space?
How do we become the town we want to be? In this forum, community members discuss housing, place-making, transportation and mobility, downtown vibrancy and prosperity. Moderated by Princeton Future staff.
Views in Princeton are changing. From the emergence of the new Alexander streetscape around the train station to the re-emergence of the high roof of the University Chapel on the skyline, newly visible again on Cherry Hill Road since the Hospital tower was demolished – our sense of our identity as a town pulls us in different directions – from nostalgia to visionary. The endurance of Princetonians is time-tested, but in the face of so much change, how do we carry our dreams and goals forward?
Since 2000, Princeton Future has been convening open public meetings for us all to listen to each other for the common good. Through research, analysis and public forums, we seek to better understand complex issues that face us collectively in Princeton. Our Board members volunteer to do our professional work. Our funding is derived mostly from citizens such as you, local foundations and from a small contract with the recently established community – university trust.
Princeton Profile 2014 – Assemblying a Community Database. First year highlights by Ralph Widner.
Where are we today? How did we get here? Where might we be headed? Can we agree on benchmarks to measure our progress? Moderator: Peter Kann, resired CEO, Down Jones Inc.
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
The Circulation Element of the Princeton Master Plan was updated in November. We have set the rules for dealing with traffic. PDF for presentation
Marvin Reed, Chair, Master Plan Subcommittee, Princeton Planning Board
Q & A
COMPLETE STREETS IN PRINCETON: WHAT? WHERE? HOW?
Sam Bunting, Member of Walkable Princeton & Princeton Traffic & Transportation Committee PDF for presentation
Q & A
BICYCLING: WHAT DO WE NEED? WHAT DO WE WANT?
Steve Kruse, Princeton Pedestrian & Bicycle Advisory Committee PDF for presentation
Q & A
TRAFFIC FACTS & POSSIBLE TRANSIT STRATEGIES
Ralph Widner, Member, Traffic & Transportation Committee & Council of Princeton Future PDF for presentation
Q & A
UPDATE FROM THE TRAFFIC & TRANSIT TASK FORCE
Kevin Wilkes AIA, Chair, Alexander Street-University Place Task Force
Q & A
Moderated by Anton Lahnston, Chair, Traffic & Transportation Committee, Princeton
A UNITED PRINCETON LOOKS TO THE FUTURE: WHAT DO WE WANT OUR TOWN & REGION TO BE IN 20 YEARS?
SESSION #3: “BEST PRACTICE” WHAT TOOLS & TECHNIQUES CAN LEAD TO
DECISION-MAKING AND IMPLEMENTATION?
Robert Bzik, AICP/PP Director of Planning, Somerset County
Philip C. Ehlinger, Jr., AICP CZO, Deputy Manager, Doylestown
Andy Johnson, Former Chair, Planning Board, Haddonfield
Nat Bottigheimer, Former Planner, Washington DC Metro Authority
Moderated by Rob Freudenberg, Regional Plan Association
Response Panel:
Staff, Elected & Appointed Members of the Government
