Neighbors to All Saints Road facility voice concerns.
By: David Campbell
The Princeton Regional Planning Board approved a request Thursday by the Princeton French School off All Saints Road to increase enrollment from 50 to 70 students and extend its weekday closing time to 5:30 p.m.
In September 2002, the board granted the K-5 school its application to operate in the church facility it now occupies on condition enrollment was limited to 50 and its school day finished by 4 p.m., said Princeton Planning Director Lee Solow.
French School attorney Richard Goldman said the school’s great success has resulted in increased demand for its services. He said the 4 p.m. closing time has proven a hardship for some parents picking up their children. The time extension would permit an afterschool program and result in a favorable staggering of traffic from pickup by parents, the attorney said.
Mr. Goldman said the enrollment increase would not require improvements to the site. "For now, this allows us to fully utilize the facility," he noted.
Neighbors of the school expressed concern about traffic impacts from parent dropoffs and pickups, and asked the board to make approval conditional on the installation of traffic-calming measures.
"Our perception is the existing traffic on the street has increased a lot since the school opened," said All Saints Road resident Steve Boyack, who estimated about 200 vehicle trips a day to and from the facility. "We no longer feel safe walking."
The board approved the school’s request and referred the question of traffic controls to the Princeton Township engineer. The board encouraged the school to look into busing and increased carpooling.
In other business Thursday night, the board approved an application by Ricky’s Candy, Cones & Chaos Inc. to open an old-style candy and ice-cream shop in the commercial space on Nassau Street formerly occupied by the Sam Goody music store.
Ricky’s attorney Tom Letizia said a minor application like this typically would not need to go before the board for approval.
But because the shop plans to serve ice cream on a limited basis, it was categorized as an eating and drinking establishment under Princeton Borough zoning, which requires the applicant to provide roughly one additional parking space. As a result, a variance for the parking under the change of use was needed, the attorney said.
Mr. Letizia said the shop, which is slated to open in May, plans to lease the required space from Palmer Square’s parking garage on Chambers Street.
Also Thursday night, the Planning Board approved an application by Princeton University to renovate its Helm Building at 330 Alexander Road.