Zoning board to examine restaurant, bar’s application.
By: Rachel Silverman
The Princeton Township Zoning Board of Adjustment has called a special meeting Wednesday night to review a long-awaited application seeking to install a jazz club at Route 206 and Birch Avenue.
The club, which would act as a combination restaurant, bar, wine shop and performance space, will undergo a review of the stormwater management plan, traffic safety patterns and environmental impacts, among other issues.
Though originally slated for an earlier date, the application’s hearing had been pushed back because of a lawsuit filed against applicant Stephen Distler this summer.
According to the eight plaintiffs involved, both Mr. Distler and the Zoning Board of Adjustment failed to properly notify neighbors about project construction plans. Specifically, the litigants accused Mr. Distler and the board of violating the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law, which states that property owners within 200 feet of the site must be notified of any plans for development. In addition, the plaintiffs raised issues of noise, traffic and safety, citing the club’s potentially negative influence on the community.
In early March, however, Superior Court Judge Linda Feinberg dismissed the case, ruling that Mr. Distler and the board did indeed notify neighbors in a timely and appropriate manner.
This decision followed Mr. Distler’s agreement in December to remove off-site parking from the development plans. Instead, Mr. Distler opted for an on-site valet parking system.
If approved, the application would allow a 10,750-square- foot, multi-level building to be erected on-site. The club, which has been named Aston’s Restaurant and Bar, would seat 159 restaurant-goers and contain standing-room space for 20 to 30 more. Lunch, dinner and drinks would be served in the club’s dining areas, and live jazz performances would be held throughout the week.
The sleek, New York-style club would replace Mike’s Tavern, which had been a low-key neighborhood institution for more than 70 years.

