Senior housing plan in Princeton Township gains consensus

By Nick Norlen, Staff Writer
   The Princeton Township Committee has reached consensus on an ordinance that would pave the way for development of senior housing on Princeton Ridge, but it is not expected to vote on introduction of the measure until after Jan. 1.
   After tabling it twice earlier this month, Township Committee members Monday reached agreement on facets of the ordinance which had been in dispute.
   The ordinance was first discussed after architect and developer J. Robert Hillier’s August proposal for an approximately 160-unit, age-restricted housing project on the Bunn Drive senior overlay zone, which would cover much less land than the abandoned K. Hovnanian project that still has approval.
   Mr. Hillier has held that the project would only be feasible if the age restriction on the site, known as the Lowe tract after its owners, was lowered from 62-and-over to 55-and-over, among other changes.
   The proposed changes have been a source of debate between the senior housing advocates, who favor the development, and its opponents, who have cited environmental concerns and their belief that the project would not truly meet the township’s need for senior housing.
   The ordinance was tabled at the committee’s last meeting after requests for further revisions by some committee members, including Chad Goerner, who has said the ordinance should “strike a balance” between its seemingly competing interests.
   Regional Planning Director Lee Solow said Monday that the committee’s discussion will give him “adequate direction” to draft a new version of the ordinance.
   He confirmed the items of consensus Tuesday.
   The first item agreed to by the committee Monday was a “Princeton preference,” which will require the units to be initially marketed to residents of the township and borough, their parents and children, active volunteers and employees of the township, borough, and joint agencies and Princeton Regional Schools, and individuals who have lived in the township or borough in the last five years.
   The committee also agreed to require the developer to expand and improve the Princeton Community Village retention basin, which will meet storm water needs at the new development site, Mr. Solow said.
   In addition, the ordinance will require 60 percent of the site to be devoted to open space, with 8.5 acres remaining undisturbed.
   The committee also agreed to require the donation of the 3-acre parcel across the street from the development site, but opted to reserve it for a use to be determined by the township, rather than specifically slating it for housing, Mr. Solow said.
   Committee members eventually agreed to require Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, but not at a specified level.
   Although Mr. Hillier said at the last meeting that he was agreeable to “silver” LEED certification — and some township officials have characterized the ordinance process as “negotiations with a developer” — Mayor Phyllis Marchand said the ordinance in question “could apply to any developer.”
   She added, “So that we have to really be sure that what we put in here is something that could be accepted. Otherwise, we may not be able to get anything.”
   Though committee members Victoria Bergman, Lance Liverman and Bernard Miller agreed that LEED certification should be required, but not at a specific level, Committeeman Chad Goerner disagreed.
   Noting that Mr. Hillier had already agreed to “silver” certification, Mr. Goerner said such standards should be included as if he would be the developer.
   ”Now, all of a sudden, we’re backing away,” he said, noting that a balance should be forged between the need for senior housing and the environmental concerns.
   Nevertheless, Mr. Goerner eventually agreed to simply require LEED certification.
   Ultimately, the committee agreed to limit the number of units to 158, including 24 middle-income and 12 affordable units — eight moderate and four low.
   Mr. Solow said he is still unsure whether the committee’s decision to decline the donation of design services for the 3-acre parcel across Bunn Drive from the site — opting for a cash contribution instead — will be specifically stated in the ordinance or part of language referring to compliance to affordable housing regulations.
   Previously, the committee agreed to stipulations involving the age change, the exclusion of affordable housing units from the permitted density of the site, the reduction of the maximum impervious coverage, an increase in height limits, and a requirement for the developer to make all units handicapped-adaptable.