By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
Potential developers in Princeton soon will have to complete a checklist on eco-friendly aspects of their projects.
The Princeton Council is scheduled to vote next month to make the requirement law, a proposal that has the backing of Mayor Liz Lempert. She last week called the checklist “a great tool.”
Princeton planning director Lee O. Solow said examples of things the town will ask about will include whether energy-efficient appliances are being used and whether a bus stop is being provided.
The town, however, cannot compel developers to include green measures in their projects. That’s because construction in New Jersey is governed by the state building code, which does not require them.
The Princeton Planning Board was scheduled to review the proposal at its meeting Thursday. The measure is due to come back to the council for a vote April 1, where Mayor Lempert said she thinks it would be adopted.
Princeton University, the largest landholder in town, sounded supportive of the measure.
”Sustainability is a high priority for us, so we already consider the kinds of measures on the checklist. It would be good if other developers did as well,” said University Vice President and Secretary Robert K. Durkee.
Princeton is not breaking new ground by making the checklist mandatory, as other New Jersey communities such as West Windsor have already done so. Princeton officials have discussed the idea for many years.
”This has been a long time in preparation,” said Diane Landis, executive director of Sustainable Princeton, a nonprofit environmental group that has an office in old Borough Hall.
Around the nation, governments at all levels are taking steps to promote eco-friendly construction, including tax incentives for building “green,” said Jacob Kriss, a spokesman for the Green Building Council, a nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C.
”Princeton’s step to require a green building checklist and information statement alongside building permits is a good first step toward helping real estate developers consider the energy, environmental and human health impacts of buildings,” he said in an email. “While education is key, a non-binding checklist can only go so far in unleashing the potential of a truly sustainable-built environment.”

