But Princeton’s school board projects that the high school will need 282 parking spaces in the future, 203 for faculty and 79 for students.
By: Jeff Milgram
It was athletic fields vs. parking lots when the Princeton Regional Board of Education’s Facilities Committee met Thursday.
Parents of Princeton High School students came to the meeting to urge the committee to reduce the number of parking spaces at PHS rather than reduce the number of playing fields.
The board has repeatedly said that one athletic field would be eliminated to make room for the expansion of the high school.
The committee already has eliminated 60 parking spaces from its original plans, chairwoman Ann Burns said Thursday. The committee also gave its architect, The Hillier Group, the go-ahead to use artificial turf on three playing fields at the John Witherspoon Middle School, across from PHS. That will make the fields sturdy enough for both practice and games, district officials say.
To restore the playing field, the board would have to cut the number of parking spaces even more. "We would have to give up 160 spaces and the tennis courts to get a field," Ms. Burns said.
PHS currently has 196 parking spaces, 156 for faculty and staff and 40 for students and visitors. The board projects that PHS will need 282 parking spaces in the future, 203 for faculty and 79 for students.
Township resident Garrett Brown presented the committee with copies of a letter signed by about 30 residents.
"Elimination of needed high school sports facilities is unacceptable. To pave them over for parking lots is simply unconscionable," the letter said.
The residents maintained that the board promised "upgraded playing fields" when it went to the voters in May for approval to spend $81 million to expand and renovate all six of the district’s schools.
"We cannot believe that the board would represent to us that the renovation would enhance and improve the athletic facilities and then contemplate degrading and eliminating them," the letter said. "We request the board’s assurance that this is not the case and that the PHS athletic program will not lose one square inch of our current playing field space."
Committee members cited the indoor swimming pool, new gymnasium and weight room as enhanced athletic facilities.
"The athletic programs at Princeton High School are cherished," said borough resident Bob James.
The athletic fields are one in a long line of issues the board has had to contend with since it had Hillier draw up initial plans for the PHS expansion.
Neighbors of PHS have questioned the need for the expansion, urged the board to maximize green space, recommended the board withdraw from its contract to educate Cranbury students at PHS and complained about the location of the tennis courts.
After the meeting, board President Charlotte Bialek said the board has listened to every side of every issue. The board, she said, will simply not be able to please everyone.
In other school expansion matters, Paul Pezzutti, a Hillier associate, said some asbestos will have to be removed from each of the district’s schools next summer, before construction can start.
He said asbestos has been found in pipe insulation and floor tiles. The removal will require all the schools be closed over the summer, he said.
He also said that when the construction project gets under way, the additions will be built before renovations are undertaken. This will cause less disruption, he said.
Mr. Pezzutti also said the board may need to use the Valley Road Building, a former school, for temporary classroom space during construction, if it can pass muster from fire and building inspectors.
Superintendent Claire Sheff Kohn said the district is considering stepping up security during and after the construction. One idea is to number doorways and color-code corridors so emergency response personnel can better navigate the schools, she said.
Dr. Kohn said the district wants to make sure that construction workers are properly identified and that they are kept separate from students.
The board will hold a public presentation at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the high school for PHS and John Witherspoon parents. Presentations for elementary school parents will be scheduled later.

