By Mary Brienza, Staff Writer
After almost a full decade, the Township Council introduced an ordinance Tuesday evening accepting an easement from Princeton University for a sewer line on Ridge Road by a vote of 3-0.
Councilman Charles Carley was not in the room at the time of the vote, and Councilman John O’Sullivan was not at the meeting while he recovered from surgery.
Accepting the easement brings a longstanding deal with Princeton Forrestal Associates, the fundraising arm of Princeton University to a close.
At the April 5 work session the council was supposed to have discussed the sewer lines and easement for the Mapleton Road sewer project, but the meeting was canceled because there was not a quorum present.
At the April 12 meeting, Mayor Frank Gambatese said this would serve 47 township residents and Ridge Road, and not cost the township anything.
”It was at (Princeton University’s) cost,” Mr. Gambatese said.
The 47 residents of Ridge Road did not have township water and used wells that had poor water quality, Mr. Gambatese said.
This is part of a larger ongoing agreement between Princeton University and the township, according to township officials.
At the Feb. 22 meeting an ordinance was introduced and passed 4-0 by the township council accepting the Ridge Road Waterline and Easement from the trustees of Princeton University. Councilman Charles Carley was not present during that vote.
Princeton University and the township council made a deal in 2001 that in exchange for rezoning part of Route 1 for office research buildings; Princeton University would give 150 acres of land as open space to the township, including a water easement that would bring township water to Ridge Road, according to township officials.
Mr. Gambatese said earlier that Princeton University owns land on Route 1 and wanted the land rezoned for office research.
Mr. Gambatese said Princeton University owned 300 acres of land and that in exchange for rezoning 75 acres of the land, the university would give the township 225 acres of land for open space including the Princeton Nursuries Tree Farm.
The property contains a tree farm that was the largest in the world at one point, some green houses, and at one time Congressman Rush Holt, D-12, had his headquarters on the property, Mr. Gambatese said.
”(The) history of that place is phenomenal,” Mr. Gambatese said.
At an earlier meeting, Deputy Mayor Chris Killmurray, who was on the council when the project was voted on, said there were a lot of critics and some controversy regarding the project when it was first proposed.
In 2003, the agreement was passed by that council 3-2 with then Republican Councilmen Ten Van Hassen and Democrat Edmund Luciano voting against the proposal, according to previously published reports.

