By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
The Township Committee approved a zoning change Monday that allows the Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad to replace its old headquarters.
Officials stressed how vital the squad is to the community and how the current building on North Harrison Street needs to go a sentiment that squad president Peter Simon shared.
In his remarks to the governing body, Mr. Simon said the squad wants to go from a 4,600-square-foot building that was built in 1963 to one of about 20,000 square feet that will last for many years to come.
Plans call for demolishing the current building and two adjacent homes on Clearview Avenue that the squad has acquired to make room.
Deputy Mayor Liz Lempert said the squad would be paying for the building, in a project that has a projected price tag of $7.25 million.
Officials said they squad has considered other sites in town.
”They’ve been looking for a home for quite some time,” said Township Committeeman Lance Liverman.
Committeewoman Sue Nemeth, having toured the facility, said the roughly 100-member squad works under “deplorable conditions.”
While the headquarters would be in a residential setting, Mr. Liverman said there is not great opposition and that the squad has met with neighbors.
In the past and again at Monday’s meeting, Mr. Simon touched on some of the challenges the building presents, including water leaks during rain storms. The facility, which has no backup generator, also lost power during the Hurricane Sandy, he said.
Mr. Simon has said the building was never built to handle “the size or the scope” of the squad of today. Last year, the agency responded to more than 2,800 service calls, an average of about eight a day.

