PRINCETON: Princeton Ridge suit is settled out of court

By Victoria Hurley-Schubert, Staff Writer
   The Princeton Ridge, an environmentally sensitive area off Bunn Drive in the township, will be developed, but with strict environmental standards that have been put into place after a lawsuit was settled.
   The ridge has steep slopes, large boulders and is heavily wooded, said Borough Attorney Ed Schmierer.
   ”You can see the sensitivity to preserve a green belt along the edge of Princeton,” he said. “It’s the sensitivity of the soils, the slopes, water runoff and thick tree stands” that make it sensitive.
   The approximate 250-acre area runs east-west along Herrontown Road, across Route 206 along Cherry Valley Road to Hopewell Township.
   Zoning changes to the site now ensure that most of the parcel will remain open space and undeveloped.
   The People for Princeton Ridge were “convinced that the township was acting in a responsible way to develop the ridge and preserve the Ridge where appropriate,” and dismissed their legal action, said Schmierer.
   Throughout the three-year process, zoning and stormwater management was tightened and commitments were made from the township to preserve the ridge.
   ”The developer did the right thing by going up a story instead of out, which is the environmentally sustainable way of doing things,” said Dan Harris, who has headed up the Friends of the Princeton Ridge. “We’re pleased with the outcome.”
   The developer will be able to only to build on four acres out of 21, and the group is especially pleased with the stormwater management, he said.
   Commitments to preservation include the acquisition of the Ricciardi tract, which is also an environmentally sensitive property on the ridge, said Mr. Schmierer.
   Originally filed March 17, 2008, in Mercer County Superior Court, the suit targeted zoning that could enable developer J. Robert Hillier’s proposed age-restricted housing development, which is to be served by underground parking and other amenities.
   A revision of the zoning on the site in May 2010 had provisions to reduce the total amount of disturbance of the site to 19 percent of the land area. The maximum impervious coverage was reduced from 30 percent to 18 percent, and the minimum preserved open space on the property has been increased from 60 percent to 80 percent.
   Planned for the Lowe property off Bunn Drive, the senior housing plan calls for the construction of residential units in a cluster of three four-story structures. The units, which range from 800 to 1,600 square feet, are mostly reserved for 55 and older residents and include 12 low-income units and approximately 20 moderate-income units. There would also be underground parking.
   Mr. Hillier’s plan, called Copperwood, will be before the planning board in April, said Mr. Schmierer.