Happy New Year to everyone in Princeton, NJ!
It’s time for our annual attempt to guess what will happen in Princeton in the coming year! How many of these predictions do you think are likely? Read on, and don’t forget to check the end, where we review how many of our predictions for 2018 came true! Continue reading
Affordable Housing on Clay Street in Princeton. (click to expand)
A team of negotiators representing the town of Princeton is expected in court today amid ongoing discussions about how much affordable housing the town is required to build. Earlier this year, Princeton officials announced a plan to build 1,259 homes to satisfy state fair housing requirements. As we reported in the summer, however, the affordable housing plan had a number of issues that would likely make it unsatisfactory to Judge Mary Jacobson, who is overseeing all the housing cases in Mercer County. The town subsequently abandoned its proposed timeline for implementation of the housing plan, and municipal officials have said nothing since. What is going on? Continue reading
The ‘Montgomery Promenade’ site, looking toward Princeton Airport along Route 206. (click to expand, image via Google Streetview)
According to a report by Sophie Nieto-Munoz at NJ Advance Media, Whole Foods Market is planning to open a new supermarket in Montgomery Township, less than a mile from the Princeton town line. The site (click here for map) is the proposed ‘Montgomery Promenade’ development, which was formerly a VW dealership, next to Princeton Airport, and near the intersection of Route 206 and 518. Plans for a bowling alley at this location have apparently fallen through, but Whole Foods Market (which was recently acquired by Amazon.com) will be moving in instead. Continue reading
Princeton Public Schools Administrative Buildings on Valley Rd. The School District canceled plans for expansion after a botched planning process. (click to expand)
On Tuesday night, Princeton Council is having a special public meeting to set priorities for 2019. This meeting focuses on ‘User Friendly Government’, and while it’s not entirely clear what this means, it is certainly true that the town could benefit greatly from expanding public participation in local planning. 2018 has been marked by two local planning fiascos. The $130 million bond referendum proposed by Princeton Public Schools (see photo above) was canceled as local residents realized that the money would be spent on plans that had received little or no public consideration. Meanwhile, the town’s plans to address a state requirement to build hundreds of new affordable homes remain shrouded in secrecy, despite the town promising earlier this year to complete the process by August. Both processes would have benefited from more public input. Can this be achieved? Continue reading
FreeB Bus tracking screen at Princeton Library. (click to expand)
If you have been in Princeton Public Library recently, you may have noticed something new on the screen in the lobby. The town has placed GPS tracking technology in the ‘FreeB’ shuttle, which runs around the town offering free transit for local residents. Library visitors can check the screen to see where exactly the bus is, and when it is due to arrive at the library. But there’s more. FreeB riders, or people who are interested in riding the FreeB, can also see where the bus is and get real-time arrival information using any computer or smart phone. This new information should make it much easier to use the FreeB service, and help make sure that nobody misses the bus again. Continue reading
‘Freedom Village at West Windsor’ under construction in October 2018. The development will provide housing for disabled and low-income people. (click to expand. via Project Freedom)
Last month, West Windsor Township, NJ announced its proposed affordable housing settlement. The settlement explains how the town plans to provide its ‘fair share’ of affordable housing, as is required by state law. Every other town in Mercer County, with the exception of Princeton, had already settled its affordable housing requirements. The developments proposed in the ‘fair share plan’ are likely to have a significant impact on West Windsor Township. The town will be adding over 4,000 new housing units, in a town that currently has a population of about 27,000. But how will the new developments affect the built environment in West Windsor? Do the development proposals offer an opportunity for West Windsor to become more walkable? We took a look at the plans to find out more. Continue reading
Police speed board, as used in Princeton. These devices do not issue tickets. (click to expand)
At their meeting last Monday, Princeton Council passed a resolution calling on the State of New Jersey to allow local towns to install automated traffic control devices, including speed cameras and red light enforcement cameras. New Jersey is currently one of just three states that prohibit the use of speed cameras, which means that towns like Princeton are not able to use them to enforce local speed limits. Speeding remains a pervasive problem in Princeton. Police have responded to regular complaints from residents about speeding by installing radar speed display signs, which show drivers how fast they are traveling, but which do not issue tickets. These speed display signs are usually effective for a number of weeks, but do not act as a lasting deterrent against speeding. Continue reading
Riders arrive for the start of the “Mayor’s Bike Ride”. (click to expand.)
On Sunday, the “Mayor’s Bike Ride” took place in Princeton. About 70 riders defied rode from Community Park South to Mountain Lakes Park along with Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert. Continue reading
Princeton School Board Offices at Valley Road. (click to expand)
Princeton Board of Education meets tonight (9.4.18*) to consider whether to place a $130 million bond before voters for a November referendum. The $130 million is intended to expand local schools to provide capacity for anticipated growth in student numbers. But the decision is being taken as another – potentially far more dramatic – process is being played out. And that process might make the proposed expansion of Princeton schools unnecessary, even before it is completed. Continue reading
The Franklin Avenue parking lot in Princeton. (click to expand)
Princeton Council focused on parking once again at their Monday night meeting, and decided to expand the range of parking options in town by at least 150 spaces. Specifically, Council decided to start charging for parking at the Franklin Avenue parking lot, which formally was used for staff and visitors to the old Princeton Hospital, but which has lain empty for several years since the hospital moved to Plainsboro. Long-term, this site is going to be used for affordable housing, but Council decided that people should be allowed to pay to use it as daily employee parking for one to two years, before construction of the new housing begins. Continue reading
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