Proposal to encourage apartments for elderly weighed.
By: Jennifer Potash
The Princeton Borough Council introduced an ordinance Tuesday increasing sewer fees and discussed a possible ordinance that would create additional apartments for senior citizens within existing residences.
The proposed changes would raise the sewer rates by $2 per 1,000 cubic feet of water for residential use; by $4 per 1,000 cubic feet of water for commercial use, such as restaurants and offices; and by $6 per 1,000 cubic feet of water for the two large-volume users, Princeton University and The Medical Center at Princeton.
With the increase, residential users would pay $48 per 1,000 cubic feet of water an increase of 4.3 percent; commercial users $56 an increase of 7.7 percent; and users in the highest tier, $66 an increase of 10 percent.
The last rate hike was in 2000 and was aimed at providing money for sewer system upgrades. The borough shelved a proposed rate increase last year after new data revealed such a hike was unnecessary.
Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi said early usage bills received by the borough demand the higher rate.
The wet weather of the past winter and this spring meant more groundwater runoff entered the Stony Brook Regional Sewerage Authority treatment facility from the municipal sewers, said Councilman David Goldfarb.
The public hearing is June 10.
In other business, the so-called granny-flat ordinance returned to the Borough Council’s agenda as part of a package of proposed ordinance changes from Borough Zoning Officer Frank Slimak.
This ordinance would allow the creation of such apartments on property that meets the minimum lot area as specified in the zoning district where the property is located.
Mr. Slimak said about eight to 14 additional senior apartments could be added to the housing inventory.
Mr. Goldfarb suggested changes to the ordinance to limit the occupancy to two permanent residents and require only one resident be 62 or older, as many senior couples are of different ages.
His suggestion led Borough Councilwoman Wendy Benchley to quip, "You men always marry younger women."
Under the current ordinance, only properties with oversized lots, such as those in the Western section of Princeton, are eligible to create this type of apartment, Mr. Slimak said.
The proposed ordinance requires the granny flats to provide at least two habitable rooms and one parking space on the property, he said.
In the event the property owner no longer has a senior-citizen tenant, the apartment cannot be used, he said.
The property owner must live either in the house or the apartment, Mr. Slimak said.
Mayor Marvin Reed said he would like to see the ordinance ready for introduction in about a month.

