Town would get land in exchange for change
By: Sharlee DiMenichi
The township is closing in on a deal that could net it more than 200 acres of open space in exchange for a change in zoning that would allow the construction of office buildings near Kingston.
The Township Council agreed Tuesday to introduce two ordinances March 4. One would create a township office/conference zone and a second would rezone a 78-acre parcel of land on Route 1 to office/conference.
The office/conference zone would permit construction companies to build a building that is 67 feet high. Current township restrictions allow buildings of no more than 50 feet.
The changes are part of a developer’s agreement the township entered into with Princeton Forrestal, the development arm of Princeton University, which called for the rezoning in exchange for about 215 acres of open space at the edge of Kingston to be preserved.
The parcel is now zoned residential, but Princeton University, which owns the tract, wants to build an office park and conference center on it and an adjacent 72-acre property, already zoned for office/research.
In exchange for the rezoning, the university will donate about 215 acres of residentially zoned land to the township, which would be preserved as open space.
Council members said they were concerned about buffer requirements in the new zone, which gives the Planning Board the option to require either a berm or tree rows and encourages a 200-foot buffer between an office-conference zone and surrounding residential properties.
Under the proposed ordinance, if developers want to reduce the buffer, they may compensate by building a higher berm, said Township Planner Craig Marshall.
For every 25 feet the buffer is reduced, developers must add 2 feet to the berm.
However, the buffer cannot be less than 100 feet Mr. Marshall said. The ordinance encourages relocating mature trees to be planted in a double row, Mr. Marshall said.
Councilman Chris Killmurray said he favored requiring a 200-foot buffer with no option to reduce it.
"I’d rather take the wiggle room out," Mr. Killmurray said.
Councilman Ted Van Hessen said he supported mandating a 200-foot buffer.
"Don’t let the Planning Board reduce or mitigate this," Mr. Van Hessen said.

