Township and Borough say their plans to meet state regulations are largely complete
By: Marjorie Censer
Princeton Borough and Princeton Township affordable-housing consultants told planning representatives Tuesday that their municipalities’ plans to meet the new state Council on Affordable Housing regulations are mainly complete though both still await word from Princeton University about how the institution will meet the need it has created.
Members of the Master Plan Subcommittee of the Regional Planning Board of Princeton heard from borough consultant Shirley Bishop and township consultant Elizabeth McKenzie. Both said they are relying on the university to meet the affordable-housing obligation it creates with its planned development.
The borough’s 10-year affordable-housing obligation will be 97 units, Ms. Bishop said. The university must provide thirty-eight of those units. The township has a greater overall obligation of 118 units, Ms. McKenzie said, but the university’s portion is slightly smaller compared to the borough with a 32-unit obligation.
Ms. McKenzie said that the township supports the university’s contention that, as an educational institution, it should not be subject to the same growth-share calculations which base a community’s affordable-housing obligation, in part, on the square footage of new construction in the community. This correlation, in turn, is based on the assumption that new construction creates new jobs in the community.
The university has maintained that, though it constructs additional buildings, it does not necessarily hire a significant number of new employees.
However, Ms. McKenzie emphasized, the university must discuss that issue with COAH.
"If they can succeed with COAH where others have failed, I applaud them," she said. "But I don’t want Princeton Township to get stuck."
Ms. Bishop said the borough, like the university, plans some discussion with COAH about its obligation. The plan she has submitted includes demolition credits for The Waxwood the historic building on Quarry Street as well as an exemption from counting the Princeton Seminary garage, which will be operated by key cards and not require a new employee. These requests must be approved by COAH.
The consultants assured representatives of both municipalities as well as members of the subcommittee that the plans submitted to COAH are not the final word. Once the plans are certified which Ms. McKenzie said she does not expect to occur until August 2006 at the earliest the officials are free to make an unlimited number of amendments and changes.
"Just because it’s going down to COAH doesn’t mean it’s set in stone," Ms. McKenzie said.
Planning Director Lee Solow said the uncertainty of the plans is required because of the growth-share concept which relies on actual construction to determine the affordable-housing obligation.
"It’s a moving target, because that’s what growth-share is really about," he explained.
But Princeton Borough Mayor Mildred Trotman said it is important that the Planning Board realize the time crunch. The board will hold a special meeting Dec. 12 to examine the plans just eight days before the plans are due to COAH and members of the Borough Council and Township Committee must approve the final plans of their respective municipalities after the Planning Board.
"It doesn’t give us much time for the Planning Board not to approve the plans," she said.
Master Plan Subcommittee Chairman Marvin Reed said the establishment of the plans will change the way the Planning Board sees new proposals.
The board will ask each time, "Is this a proposal that could include some of the affordable-housing obligation?" Mr. Reed said. The board will have to be very conscious of the affordable-housing component of new applications, he added.

