Photo by Lauren Wyman
Let the Arts and Transit Discussion Begin Anew
Princeton Borough residents are one step closer to walking down a rejuvenated Alexander Road in twenty years, after the Borough Council agreed to formally introduce for public discussion the zoning for the Arts, Education and Transit Neighborhood at a meeting on Tuesday night.
At yesterday’s meeting Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi showcased artist’s renditions of an idyllic neighborhood with a modern looking building nestled behind a series of sprightly trees lining a sunlit traffic-free road, in an effort to jumpstart the conversation about zoning for the Arts Education and Transit Center zoning.
“We can work things on parallel tracks, no pun intended,” Bruschi said, implying that this neighborhood can be mutually beneficial for both the community and the university. Bruschi recommended that the council introduce the ordinance for new zoning plans for discussion, in the hopes that by opening this zoning for public debate “we can move forward,” he said.
Bruschi presented improved zoning plans, along with artist’s renditions of the Arts, Education and Transit Neighborhood (AET), after the last plan failed to pass. Changes to the zoning plans include increasing the set-back of buildings from the sidewalk to a minimum of 15 feet, eliminating residential dormitories in this area and permitting an outdoor eating area. See the report for more information.
“It’s a lot of paper—inches and inches and inches of information,” Bruschi said. “You have some time, and we owe you some things, but we want to keep the process moving towards an end so that you have all the information you need to make this decision.”
However, several council members expressed concern about not having enough information to make an informed decision.
“It’s kind of nuts, because it’s an art and transit neighborhood, but the transit is not being talked about,” said Jenny Crumiller, Borough Council member. “I don’t see how we could in good conscience bring it to the planning board.”
Mayor Mildred Trotman clarified for the audience that by voting to introduce the zoning ordinances, council members are in no way bound to approve the ordinances when it comes time to vote. Rather, by introducing the ordinances, conversations about the AET neighborhood between the planning board and the council, and the public and the council, can begin to move forward.
Councilman Roger Martindell specified what pieces of information he would like the university to give the council before moving forward.
“I’d like to see a list of benefits as a result of the ordinance - including data, list of impacts over the proposed project and data on impacts. I’d like to see weighing benefits against the impacts. I’d like to see articulation of enforcement that goes along with project, and I’d like to consider alternatives to an AET neighborhood because it has been indicated that if we don’t approve, it will be built somewhere else,” Martindell said.
Borough resident Andrew Erlichson agreed that more information should be available for councilmen and residents alike before any action is taken. However, Erlichson opposes the AET Neighborhood as it stands now.
He stated that the moving of the Dinky will cost the Borough over $9 million dollars and cost residents countless hours or extra walking time per year.
“According to the University’s plan, they will increase the size of the Dinky station by 60 square feet. Considering the cost of land in Princeton Borough, this may cost the Borough hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Erlichson said emphatically.
“Add this to the additional walk of 160 feet—and with a walking speed of 3 miles per hour—means that people using the Dinky will spend 1.7 minutes per ride, 3.4 minutes per day, 17.5 minutes per week, 181 minutes per month, 14.5 hours per year that somebody who commutes to the city will spend walking.”
However, Mimi Omicienski, owner of the Princeton Tour Company, believes that the Arts Neighborhood will infuse money into the Borough economy.
“When you look out our windows, you see over 500,000 tourists that come here every year to Princeton. They are coming here not only for the beautiful vista but to do things at the university,” she said. “I’m hoping that in the minutia, you won’t lose sight of what can be a significant revenue stream.”
Lucy Harman, Borough resident for 35 years, agreed.
“I hope you don’t lose what sounds like a wonderful project for the community,” said Harman. “I hope that this project will not die the death of one thousand cuts.”
Bob Durkee, University Vice President, urged the council members to look beyond the legalistic details and into the future, 20 years from now.
“There are two different scenarios. In one scenario, there would be a thriving, arts neighborhood. In that scenario, I hope there would be a residential mixed-use neighborhood along Alexander Road, with at least one Steven Hull building, an attractive train station with easy drop off, pick up and parking, improved traffic flow and sustainability features,” described Durkee. “For me, that’s an attractive 20-year scenario.
Durkee then described the alternate scenario.
“Some development would take place among exiting zoning but it would not as attractive. There may be a new station, there would be some sustainability but it would be largely office and storage space, which is allowed under existing zoning ordinances,” said Durkee.
“For me the question is: Is this an area that will be developed for the arts—or for something else?” Durkee concluded. “We believe that this site is the best for the arts and we continue to believe that the arts is the best use for this site.”
| Attachment | Size |
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| AETordinance.pdf | 1.58 MB |
About the Author
Princeton University, Class of '14
Lauren Wyman is a member of the Princeton University Class of '14, with a major in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She is from Cleveland, Ohio, and her work has appeared in her high school newspaper, the Beachcomber, and in the NASA Glenn Research Center Internship Newsletter, the Glenn Gazette.
