Princeton Zoning Board Approves New Construction With Laundromat at 254 Witherspoon Street

Rendering of revised design for addition at 254 Witherspoon Street, Princeton

The Princeton Zoning Board of Adjustment has approved a proposal to construct a new addition to the building at 254 Witherspoon St. The new building would allow an extension of the JZ&D architecture practice, which is already housed at the site, and provide a new laundromat at the ground floor level.

The application, from local architect Joshua Zinder, had been continued from several prior Zoning Board meetings. The plan will add a 4,763 structure on the north side of the lot adjacent to Leigh Avenue. That site is currently vacant. The new structure will be joined to the existing masonry building at 254 Witherspoon Street by a glass connector. A ramp at the front of the building will provide ADA accessibility. The redevelopment will add new bicycle racks, a green roof, roof-mounted solar panels, and a geothermal system for HVAC needs.

The Princeton Historic Preservation Commission considered the proposal earlier this year, because the site is within the Witherspoon-Jackson Historic District. At that time the Commission provided some support for the application, but also had a large number of suggestions and recommendations, several of which were incorporated into the latest design. At the Zoning Board meeting, the municipal Historic Preservation Officer, Elizabeth Kim, recognized the changes to the design, but was not convinced that the new structure was fully appropriate.

Discussion at the Zoning Board meeting focused extensively on parking. In particular, several board members said that there was not enough parking for the proposed new laundromat. The applicant pointed out that there are hundreds of parking spaces available in the parking deck across the street, next to the Avalon Bay apartment complex. Some parking is also available on the street, and in a parking lot at the rear of the property. Nevertheless, concerns remained. Board member Harlan Tenenbaum was also very troubled at the suggestion that an Amazon dropbox might be placed in the new building, Mr. Tenenbaum thought that might create too much traffic, and is concerned that Princeton is becoming “overpopulated” with too much housing and commercial activity.

In public comment, two members of the community spoke about the great value of having a new laundromat at this site. The Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood is home to a community of working-class residents, many of whom do not have access to laundry facilities. They have to travel across town, often on foot or by bicycle, to visit the laundromat at the Princeton Shopping Center. A laundromat on Witherspoon Street would greatly shorten the trip.

Ultimately, there was a consensus on the Board that on balance the application was worthy. After a further discussion about the possibility of conditioning the approval on more parking, the Board granted the necessary variances, and the project can move forward.

Related materials: (via princetonnj.gov)