Princeton Environmental Commission
For the record, the Princeton Environmental Commission (PEC) did not approve J. Robert Hillier’s revised proposal for the Lowe tract on Bunn Drive as your Feb. 6 page-one headline and article indicated. In fact, the PEC remains fundamentally — and officially — opposed to building anything on this tract of environmentally sensitive land.
Last year, despite opposition from the PEC, the Site Plan Review Advisory Board and nearly 2,000 petition signers, the Princeton Township Committee voted to proceed with developing this tract on the Princeton Ridge. A lawsuit against the township followed, resulting in a revised plan. Given this reality, the PEC met last week to review the environmental impacts of Mr. Hillier’s revisions. Although we commend Mr. Hillier for his significantly improved and more environmentally benign proposal, we will urge the Planning Board to require Mr. Hillier to meet a number of conditions before approving his plan. The PEC will release its recommendations to the Planning Board on Feb. 10. Also, the PEC will provide comments at the Feb. 19 Planning Board meeting at which Mr. Hillier is scheduled to present his revised proposal.
The PEC recognizes the need for more senior housing in our community but the project’s original age designation of 62+ better met that need than the current 55+ designation. We continue to stress that such development should occur in places that have nearby amenities to lessen use of motor vehicles and on sites that are not environmentally fragile, as Princeton’s own Master Plan designates the Princeton Ridge.
Wendy Kaczerski, chair
Peter Wolanin. co-chair
Marian Bass
Anne Neumann
Matt Wasserman
Emily Reeves
Pamela Machold
Princeton Environmental Commission
