Democratic Candidates for NJ Governor Want To Fix New Jersey’s Problems With Housing and Transit. But Do They Know How?

Posted on February 9, 2025 by walkableprinceton
NJ gubernatorial hopeful Mikie Sherrill speaks at the Democratic candidate debate

New Jersey will elect a new governor in November, and potential voters got a chance to get to know the candidates a little better on Sunday at the first Democratic Primary Debate. The debate, which happened at Rider University in Lawrenceville, featured candidates Steve Sweeney, Ras Baraka, Steve Fulop, Mikie Sherrill, and Josh Gottheimer. (See profiles of the candidates here, via northjersey.com: “Who is running for New Jersey governor in 2025?”) The debate covered a wide range of topics, but the issues of housing and transit generated significant discussion, with the candidates resolving to improve affordability and get NJ Transit working better. But when it came to actually providing concrete solutions, it wasn’t always clear that all of the candidates had realistic plans in mind.

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Town of Princeton Set to Accept State-Mandated “Fourth Round” Affordable Housing Requirement

Posted on January 24, 2025 by walkableprinceton
The newly-completed “Avalon Princeton On Harrison” Apartments, which contribute to Princeton’s affordable housing stock

Princeton Council looks set to accept the figure for new affordable housing units set by the state of New Jersey last October (Report: State: Town of Princeton Must Plan For 276 New Affordable Homes To Be Built Over Next Ten Years). This decision will be made official at the Princeton Council meeting on Monday night, January 27, when the governing body will consider Resolution 25-51 “committing to DCA’s Fourth Round Affordable Housing Present Need and Prospective Need Numbers”.

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Ten Things That Will Happen In Princeton in 2025!!

Posted on December 31, 2024 by walkableprinceton
Princeton University completed this substantial addition to the Dillon Gymnasium in 2024

As others review the year, we at ‘Walkable Princeton’ are looking forward, to a new year, which looks certain to be eventful. There will be a new President, and a fiercely-contested election for NJ Governor, but what will happen in Princeton and the local area? Here are ten predictions for the year ahead…and don’t forget to scroll down for a review of our predictions from last year!!

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State Senator Troy Singleton Endorses New State Housing Legislation at Forum At Princeton Jewish Center

Posted on December 19, 2024 by walkableprinceton
State Senator Troy Singleton, left, and the Princeton Jewish Center, right.

“I firmly believe that their arguments will be struck down.” That was the view of State Senator Troy Singleton (D-Burlington), referring to a lawsuit from twenty-six New Jersey towns who are suing to try to put a halt to the state’s affordable housing requirements. Singleton was speaking at an event on November 14 co-hosted by three Princeton-area synagogues, to discuss New Jersey’s affordable housing process for the period of 2025 – 2035. As in previous years, the state is requiring most towns to build affordable homes. The number of homes to be built in each town is calculated based on a formula in a new state law, which was passed earlier this year. Senator Singleton was a lead author on the new legislation, and was able to give insight into how and why it was passed.

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North Harrison Street Improvements Set To Begin Between Nassau St and Franklin Ave, With Bicycle Improvements To Follow

Posted on December 6, 2024 by walkableprinceton
A new buffered bike lane on Harrison Street in Princeton next to ‘The Alice’ apartment development

Princeton Council heard a presentation at their meeting on November 12 from consultants hired to study safety improvements to Harrison Street. Harrison St runs almost the entire length of the town from north to south (map), making for a very lengthy and detailed report. A previous report in ‘Town Topics’ discussed the consultants’ concepts for new roundabouts at the intersections of Harrison St with Prospect Ave, Valley Road, Terhune Road and Bunn Drive. The Mayor and several members of Council expressed surprise and trepidation at the scale of the report, which they had not had much time to read. Mayor Freda suggested that there would need to be multiple work sessions to discuss the potential improvements, which would be phased over a period of years. But improvements are likely to start more quickly on the section of Harrison St between Nassau St and Franklin Ave.

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Multiple Fitness Outlets Among New Arrivals at Rejuvenated Princeton Shopping Center

Posted on November 30, 2024 by walkableprinceton
“Ohm Fitness” storefront at Princeton Shopping Center

Changes are coming to the Princeton Shopping Center, the outdoor mall at 301 North Harrison Street (map), with a number of new openings for local residents to look forward to. In particular, there seems to be a focus on health and fitness. At the south end of the mall, “Ohm Fitness” is opening near the Chop’t salad bar. They promise to “redefine the workout experience”, bringing results 3x faster than conventional fitness approaches. This will be their second outlet, after an existing branch in Wayne NJ.

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Local Boy Scouts Selling Trees for Christmas 2025 at Princeton YMCA

Posted on November 29, 2024 by walkableprinceton

With Thanksgiving over, many Princeton households are probably in the market for a Christmas tree (* other winter festivities are available). If you want to get one locally, the Boy Scouts of Troop 43 are again selling trees and wreaths in the field in front of the Princeton YMCA (map).

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Do Princeton Historic Districts Act as “Modern Redlining”? This Local Realtor Thinks So…

Posted on November 27, 2024 by walkableprinceton
Screenshot from “The Wilton Report” featuring Princeton realtor Josh Wilton

Josh Wilton is one of Princeton’s most successful realtors, a co-owner of ‘Queenston Realty‘ who is also known for his regular podcast, “The Wilton Report“, in which he analyzes the market for property sales and rentals. The show is always packed full of data, and in the latest episode, Wilton shared some eye-popping details about the market for homes in Princeton. In brief, homes in Princeton are increasingly out-of-reach for all but the wealthiest buyers – and Wilton thinks that the town’s historic preservation efforts are contributing to problems with affordability.

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Proposed Redesign of Hinds Plaza Draws Skeptical Response From Princeton Council

Posted on November 24, 2024 by walkableprinceton
Rendering of proposed redesign for Hinds Plaza in Princeton.

A proposal to reimagine Hinds Plaza, the public square next to Princeton Public Library, got a cool response at the meeting of Princeton Council on October 28. Princeton engineer Deanna Stockton claimed that the redesign was needed, because the plaza is 20 years old and needs to be refreshed. The town of Princeton hired consultants from Arterial LLC to consult with the public and come up with ideas for improvements. But the concept plan did not seem to find much enthusiasm from Princeton Council members or other members of the public.

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Expert Panel To Discuss Affordable Housing in Princeton on Wednesday Night

Posted on November 12, 2024 by walkableprinceton
Advertisement for affordable homes available at Princeton Shopping Center

A panel of experts will meet on Wednesday evening (full details here) to discuss New Jersey’s latest round of state-mandated affordable housing construction. The discussion comes just weeks after the announcement, first reported at Walkable Princeton, that the town of Princeton would be required to provide 276 new affordable homes over the next 10 years (Report: State: Town of Princeton Must Plan For 276 New Affordable Homes To Be Built Over Next Ten Years). A number of new housing developments have been constructed in Princeton in recent years. In many cases, these developments are to help the town meet state fair housing requirements. But there is still a lot of confusion and misinformation about why and how these new housing developments are built.

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