Important Princeton Master Plan Survey Closes This Sunday

Posted on November 3, 2022 by walkableprinceton
The Princeton Shopping Center mall is a potential development area in the near-future

This Sunday (November 6, 2022) marks an important deadline in the effort to rewrite Princeton’s community Master Plan. That date will be the last chance for Princeton residents to provide input for the ‘Community Visioning Survey’, which will be the most important step in getting the public’s opinions on what the overall goals should be for planning and development in Princeton. The survey is available at the municipal website at:

The survey is anonymous and open to Princeton residents, but also to people who work in town, visit town, or grew up in Princeton. The questions aim to identify broad goals for planning, transportation, and environmental / recreation needs. It takes about 5 – 10 minutes to complete, and each respondent can only take the survey once.

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Posted in Affordability, Alternative Transportation, planning, Princeton | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Judge Throws Out Princeton Planning Board Approval of Humbert Lane Townhomes

Posted on October 19, 2022 by walkableprinceton
Planning approval has been canceled for three townhouses due to be constructed at this site on Humbert Place

A plan to construct three townhomes on Humbert Lane in Princeton appears to be dead after neighbors won a court case challenging its approval by the Princeton Planning Board. The so-called ‘Greenberg et al’ case relates to an application by ‘Simplify Living’ for a 3-unit townhouse development (discussed here). As reported in ‘Walkable Princeton’, neighboring residents were vehemently opposed to the proposal, which involves replacing one two-family home with three townhouses, arranged in a front-to-back split fronting onto Humbert Lane (map). The Planning Board ultimately approved the application, but that approval has now been overturned by the Mercer Superior Court. In addition to making it very hard for the applicant to return with a similar proposal, the ruling is likely to make it harder to build infill developments at many other sites in town.

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Posted in Density, Princeton, Smart Growth, Zoning | Tagged , | 1 Comment

RB Homes Propose 10-Unit Inclusionary Apartment Building On ‘Lincoln Court’ in Downtown Princeton

Posted on September 19, 2022 by walkableprinceton
Rendering of proposed new apartment building on Lincoln Court in Princeton

‘Tap Into Princeton’ reported last night that RB Homes, a local building firm operated by Roman and Daniel Barsky, has submitted an application to build a new apartment building on Lincoln Court in downtown Princeton. Lincoln Court is probably not a well-known address, but it’s the little dead-end street that connects to North Tulane Street, parallel with Spring Street, behind the old Triumph Brewing Co (map). As such, this is an extremely walkable site, mere footsteps from all the jobs and activity of central Princeton. The proposal is for a 10-unit apartment building, of which 2 units would be designated as below-market-rate ‘affordable’ homes.

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Posted in Affordability, architecture, Density, Princeton, Smart Growth, Sustainability, The Parking Question | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

“Fancy Women Bike Ride” Comes To Palmer Square In Princeton, Sunday Sep 18, 2 PM.

Posted on September 15, 2022 by walkableprinceton

A previous ‘Fancy Women Ride’, credit BikeItalia via Copenhagenize

Princeton’s first ever “Fancy Women Bike Ride” will take place this Sunday, September 22, setting off from Palmer Square at 2 p.m. The relaxed, 2-mile route aims to put the focus on women bike riders, and participants are encouraged to dress to impress. It’s not necessary to be all that fancy, however, and men are allowed to ride too (at the back!)

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Posted in Alternative Transportation, Biking, Complete Streets, Princeton | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Renting in Princeton: How Much Should You Expect To Pay in 2022?

Posted on August 18, 2022 by walkableprinceton
Renting this trailer in the Littlebrook neighborhood in Princeton would cost $1,950 / month.

How much should you expect to pay for apartment rentals in Princeton? We took a look through the listings to try to find out what the going rate is for apartments in central Princeton in August 2022.  We last looked at Princeton rental rates two years ago, in August 2020 (link to article).

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Last Chance To Complete Princeton Master Plan Economic Development Survey

Posted on August 15, 2022 by walkableprinceton

Advertisement for Princeton Master Plan Economic Development Survey, July 2022

If you haven’t taken the chance to complete the Princeton Economic Develeopment Survey, you should stop what you’re doing, go to this link (princetonsurvey.org), and fill it out now. This survey is part of the public outreach to rewrite the Princeton community Master Plan, the document that guides all development decisions in town. The Master Plan has not been substantially revised since 1996, therefore this is potentially a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help guide the future of Princeton. However, there are going to be other opportunities in the coming months, which fans of walkable living should be aware of.

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Bayard Lane Subdivision Approved, Despite Stormwater Concerns From Princeton Planning Board Members.

Posted on July 27, 2022 by walkableprinceton
Revised layout of new 3-home subdivision off Bayard Lane. The rear yard of the unit on the left has a large bio-retention basin. The rear yards of the other two properties include an area of protected wetlands.

The Princeton Planning Board approved an application for a three-home subdivision off Bayard Lane (aka Route 206) at their meeting on July 7. The meeting was a continuation of a hearing that began in February, and represents the latest attempt to develop this site, after a 2016 plan for duplex homes was withdrawn amid widespread neighborhood opposition. Neighbors who spoke at the hearing in February were also concerned by the latest plan. The issue of stormwater was raised over and over again, with nearby residents fearful that new homes would bring flooding after heavy rains. 

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Posted in planning, Princeton, Real estate, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Momo Brothers Propose New Pizzeria, Apartments On Witherspoon Street in Princeton

Posted on June 22, 2022 by walkableprinceton
The site at 70-74 Witherspoon St, as it exists currently in 2022 (image via Google Streetview)

Raoul and Carlo Momo, Princeton residents, and owners of restaurants including ‘Teresa Caffe‘ and ‘Eno Terra‘, have submitted an application to the town to redevelop the building that houses their ‘Terra Momo Bread Company’ on Witherspoon Street (map). The new building would be highly environmentally-sustainable, and would provide a new sit-down restaurant and homes at a highly-walkable location in downtown Princeton, but the proposal has already drawn criticism from preservationists who object to redevelopment of the existing building.

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Posted in architecture, Density, Downtown Vibrancy, People, Placemaking, planning, Princeton, Sustainability | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Multiple Companies Are Interested In Operating Self-Driving Transit in Trenton

Posted on June 13, 2022 by walkableprinceton
Self-driving delivery vehicle operated by Motional / Uber

In late 2021, New Jersey Department of Transportation launched the ‘Trenton MOVES‘ program, which is intended to bring a “safe, equitable, affordable, sustainable, and efficient on-demand automated vehicle mobility systems in and beyond Trenton, NJ.” Simply put, the idea is to have a fleet of self-driving taxis or transit shuttles that would complement the existing NJ Transit bus network, and extend high-quality transportation options to a city where many households have no access to a car. But does the technology even exist to provide self-driving transit? And would any companies be interested in serving a small city like Trenton? With the deadine for “expressions of interest” now past, we now know the answer. Yes, lots of companies are interested, and think it’s possible to operate self-driving taxis in Trenton.

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New ‘Concept Plan’ Presented For Proposed Linden Lane Townhomes

Posted on May 12, 2022 by walkableprinceton
New design for proposed townhouse development at 39 Linden Lane, Princeton.

The would-be developer of a three-unit townhouse project at 39 Linden Lane has presented a new ‘concept plan’ to the Princeton Planning Board. The new concept comes after an earlier proposal raised several concerns from the Site Plan Review Advisory Board and Historic Preservation Office. The new design is intended to respond to these concerns, and provide improved management of stormwater.

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Posted in architecture, Density, planning, Princeton, Real estate, Smart Growth, Sustainability | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment