A happy ending for ‘Jane’s House’

Planning Board grants necessary approvals that will allow much-admired South Harrison Street home to be saved

By: Hilary Parker
   Making the fairytale ending to the recent "Save Jane’s House" effort even happier ever after for all involved, the Regional Planning Board of Princeton on Thursday unanimously granted minor subdivision approval with variances to the Barsky Brothers company, Poplar Holdings, for its South Harrison Street property.
   After Barsky Brothers bought the 15,750-square-foot property in August, it planned to tear down the existing house, subdivide the lot and build a new dwelling on each of the two new lots.
   Under the leadership of neighbors Charlie Douglas and Kathleen Abplanalp, the "Save Jane’s House" campaign sought to save the 1920s house on the property, occupied for many years by Jane Taylor. Ultimately, Barsky Brothers agreed to sell the house to Mr. Douglas and Ms. Abplanalp — provided the developer was granted subdivision with variance approval.
   "It’s the keeping of Jane’s house that requires these variances," said Chris Tarr, attorney for Barsky Brothers, noting that under the original subdivision plan neither lot would have required any variances. The Planning Board granted the developers the three variances needed — for parking space setback, rear-yard setback and lot depth — to make the subdivision and subsequent sale possible.
   While Carl E. Peters, the borough engineer, recommended that a turnaround be created on the lot containing Jane’s house to eliminate the need for vehicles to back out onto Harrison Street, the Planning Board did not make this a requirement of its approval.
   "I think we should leave it as it’s been for years," said Planning Board member Wendy Benchley. "As somebody said, ‘If it’s good enough for Jane …’"
   Ms. Abplanalp, an architectural historian with Richard Grubb & Associates, attended the meeting to support Barsky Brothers’ request and express her gratitude to the developers for the decision that Igor Barsky said is less profitable than the original plan for the property.
   "I had an early love for Jane’s house," Ms. Abplanalp said, and her love seems to have spread throughout the community.
   "I’m so glad we were able to save Jane’s house," Princeton Borough Mayor Mildred Trotman said.