By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
The Princeton Council was scheduled Monday to take the first step toward limiting the hours of operation of restaurants and other retail businesses that are in or abut a residentially zoned section of town.
Businesses that meet the criteria of a proposed ordinance would have to be closed to the public between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. The measure carves out exemptions for Princeton University, restaurants with liquor licenses, pharmacies and urgent care medical providers.
"The idea is to help protect quality of life for those residents who happen to live next to a business and to have essentially a quiet hour between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.," Mayor Liz Lempert told reporters Monday ahead of the council meeting. "This is an attempt to try to strike a middle ground and be fair to both sides."
She cited how stores, including Hoagie Haven on Nassau Street, and bars are open late, but that most close "way before" 2 a.m.
"This is really crafted to freeze in place current practice and to help preserve the quality of life for those residents who back up to a business," she said.
Assuming there were enough votes to introduce the ordinance Monday, a second reading and a vote would occur Dec. 8.
The measure would apply to a 7-Eleven store that is seeking to open at the former West Coast Video on Nassau Street, although officials have denied that the store is the basis for the ordinance. Mayor Lempert said she has "no expectation" that 7-Eleven would back out because of the restriction.
As she has before, she noted there are "a lot" of 7-Eleven stores that are not open 24 hours a day. Asked if the town was imposing its business model on 7-Eleven, she replied: "I think we’re imposing the town model on them, but I think that’s what our job is, as opposed to changing the town model in order to accommodate any particular business’s model."
Officials have talked in the summer about creating the hours of operation ordinance, much to the concern of the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce and merchants in town. Mayor Lempert went before the Princeton Merchants Association in September to get feedback.
In a nod to the business community, officials eliminated an earlier provision that would have applied the restriction to stores within 200 feet of a residential zone. Also, the measure defines hours of operation as when the store is open to the public. By doing so, it preserves the right for affected businesses to receive early morning deliveries and for employees to work inside between 2 and 5 a.m.
"Getting deliveries is not considered open to the public," Mayor Lempert said.
Also, the town is proposing that impacted businesses can be open past 2 a.m. on six days a year, so long as the municipal administrator and police chief approve.
Council President Bernard P. Miller, appearing at the mayor’s press conference, said he is inclined to support the ordinance.
Mayor Lempert said the town has some businesses open 24 hours a day.
"But those are not in any of these areas," she said.
Hotels also would fall under the new regulation, except it exempts check-in and check-out services.

