After an hour’s presentation by the borough staff and the developers, more than a dozen residents and some downtown merchants made comments.
By: Jennifer Potash
With a month to go until the Princeton Borough Council makes a decision on the downtown parking garage development, the governing body heard from supporters and opponents of the project Tuesday.
The borough is negotiating with developer Nassau HKT Associate LLC to construct a 500-space parking garage; two mixed-use buildings containing a total of 77 apartments, retail space a restaurant and food market; and a plaza on the municipally owned parking lots off Spring Street.
The council released the long-awaited redevelopment agreement and financial data to the public Tuesday.
After an hour’s presentation by the borough staff and the developers, more than a dozen residents and some downtown merchants made comments calling for an outright halt to the project, endorsing it or suggesting changes.
The garage will get at least one "no" vote on the Borough Council.
Councilman Roger Martindell indicated he would not vote for the garage and other buildings as he has doubts about the revenue sources the borough claims will allow the project to be self-sustaining. (Mr. Martindell explains his vote in a letter to the editor on Page 16A.)
One prominent downtown institution the Princeton Public Library issued a strong endorsement for the project. The borough has agreed to provide 85 spaces for the library within 400 feet of the facility’s front door.
Harry Levine, chairman of the library’s board of trustees, said the garage fulfills that need and the plaza would be a great benefit to library patrons.
"On behalf of the library I believe I can say with good conscience this is a plan that, if you decide to vote for it, we can endorse it and we approve of it," Mr. Levine said.
Dorothy Koehn, a John Street resident who unsuccessfully sought to convince the council to put the project to referendum, criticized the council for not allowing the citizens the opportunity to approve or reject the development.
Since the two parking lots were declared an area in need of redevelopment, any bond ordinance or resolution approved regarding the development is not subject to referendum, borough officials said.
Mr. Martindell said opponents could try a legal challenge or rally borough citizens to try to change the council members’ minds. Councilman David Goldfarb said he would be happy to hear from residents and urged them to call him at home.
Mark Alexaneridis, a Princeton Avenue resident, said the financial information seemed to be "highly speculative numbers," and said he was concerned about the effect on taxpayers if the developer defaulted with payments.
"(The council) should find a solution somewhere in between this solution and past solutions because this garage is going to brain-damage the landscape downtown," Mr. Alexaneridis said.
If the developer defaulted on the roughly $600,000 annual contribution and lease payments, then the borough would own the apartment buildings, said Robert Goldsmith, the borough’s special legal counsel for the development.
"I don’t think any rational developer would forgo 77 apartments to avoid paying $600,000," he said.
Anne Neumann, a Mercer Street resident and supporter of the project, expressed her disappointment over the failure to provide for locally owned businesses in the restaurant and food-market space.
Former Princeton Borough Councilman Mark Freda, a Fisher Avenue resident, criticized his former colleagues for giving the public only a month to ask questions before the council votes on the $13.5 million project.
Mr. Goldfarb replied that if the council introduced a bond ordinance it must take action on it in the same calendar year.
The council did not discuss in detail the three potential financing mechanisms for the garage but did take preliminary action on all three to lay the groundwork for the method that is ultimately selected.
The three options are local financing, the Mercer County Improvement Authority and the state Economic Development Authority. The council voted 5 to 1 on all three items, with Mr. Martindell casting the "no" votes.
The Site Plan Review Advisory Board of the Princeton Regional Planning Board began its discussion of the plan Wednesday and will resume its review Monday.
Several board members supported the plan but expressed concern about increased traffic on Wiggins Street, Paul Robeson Place, Witherspoon Street, Vandeventer Avenue and Nassau Street, the need for the driveway and entrance and exit arrangement off Wiggins Street, and whether Spring Street should remain a one-way street or become a two-way street as suggested in the plans.
Members of the Princeton Borough Historic Preservation Review Advisory Committee also met Wednesday for an informal discussion of the borough’s plans and offered suggestions about lighting fixtures and outdoor furniture for the plaza, said Maureen Smyth, a member of the committee. The development is located next to a historic district that includes the businesses along Spring Street, she said.