By Nick Norlen, Staff Writer
Nearly six months after the architect and developer requested it, the Princeton Township Committee granted J. Robert Hillier’s wish Monday, amending, among other things, the age limit allowed in the Bunn Drive senior housing overlay zone.
Although members of the committee insisted the ordinance made provisions for the site to be built upon by any developer — and drafted the revisions accordingly — Mr. Hillier said Wednesday that he plans to submit a formal application for his age-restricted housing proposal within three months.
Still, his plans could be stalled by lawsuits promised by some of the opponents of the ordinance change.
Mr. Hillier originally announced plans for a senior housing development at the site on Princeton Ridge in August, claiming that the project would only be economically feasible if the age limit was changed from 62-and-over to 55-and-over.
In the intervening months, the issue has been fraught with bitter debate between those who urged the pursuit of the township’s first market-rate senior housing development and those opposed to development of any kind on the ridge, which they often refer to as “environmentally sensitive.”
Passed unanimously Monday, the ordinance changes the age restriction to 55-and-over for all residents and limits the number of units to 158, including 24 middle-income and 12 affordable units.
It also features requirements that increase open space, reduce site disturbance, leave 40 percent of the site in an undisturbed state, require sustainable design and provide for more affordable housing.
Discussion of the proposed amendments began Monday with members of the Township Committee taking turns responding to questions raised by the Planning Board, which voted 9-3 on Jan. 17 to recommend adoption of the ordinance after reviewing its consistency with the Community Master Plan.
Mayor Phyllis Marchand addressed the age change by stating that the committee believes it will pave the way for market-rate senior housing, which she said is listed as a priority in the Master Plan. Deputy Mayor Bernie Miller said he believes there is a “compelling need” for the ordinance’s “Princeton preference” — which would allow local residents and volunteers a first shot at whatever units would be built.
Township Attorney Ed Schmierer, who is a member of the League of Municipalities’ Council on Affordable Housing committee, said he believes the new “ordinance protects the township much more so under the new growth-share methodology than the old ordinance.”
Mayor Marchand justified the allowance for 158 units — which contradicts the master plan’s limit of 75 — by noting that the township anticipated a number of other senior housing developments in other zones at the time it was drafted.
”We still are barren,” she said. “We have no senior housing at all.”
Committeeman Chad Goerner added the fact that the 146-unit K. Hovnanian plan — which was abandoned in 2005 — was approved by the Planning Board.
Perhaps the most controversial issue — the ordinance’s balance between environmental concerns and the desire for senior housing — was addressed by Committeewoman Victoria Bergman. Citing requirements for an increase in common open space and the reduction of site disturbance, along with the fact that Princeton has achieved stated goals for preservation of open space, she said, “in this instance, the balance favors senior housing.”
A number of residents strongly disagreed.
Many of them are members of the Campaign to Save Princeton Ridge who joined resident Daniel Harris in reading portions of a “Memorandum of Intent to Bring Suit” into the record.
”There can be no balance when the destruction of 20.88 acres of undeveloped forest with important specimen trees is permitted by an ordinance allowing high-density building,” Mr. Harris said, reading from the memo.
Hopewell resident Katherine Dresdner, an attorney speaking on behalf of the Campaign to Save Princeton Ridge and the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, said the ordinance is “illegal” because it violates COAH rules.
And resident Jane Buttars, who announced a growing number of signatures — approximately 1,500 Princeton residents — on a petition opposing the ordinance change, accused the committee of “spot zoning.”
Mr. Schmierer has strongly refuted both allegations.
Other residents said the ordinance wouldn’t produce true senior housing, and still others accused the committee of pursuing short-term revenue concerns instead of long-term planning consideration.
Other residents stood up in support for the ordinance.
”Clearly Bunn Drive is a developed area,” said resident Jerry Berkelhammer, who said it could see more development under the office zoning.
Resident Bill Enslin criticized the potential lawsuits, and said the ordinance would improve the runoff situation in the area — a claim later supported by testimony from Township Engineer Bob Kiser.
Resident Harold Loew issued a personal plea to the committee to help him stay in Princeton by providing market-rate senior housing.
”Don’t think for a minute that we want to ruin what Princeton is,” he said. “But we want to stay here.”
Stating her belief that the amendments strike the right balance, an emotional Mayor Marchand addressed seniors in the audience, telling them that if they couldn’t wait for appropriate housing to be built, “please rent, so you can come back.”
Prior to the vote, Mr. Miller said many comments were “peripheral and extraneous” to the consideration of whether the ordinance represents an improvement over the previous version.
”The question before us is not a developer, it is not a conceptual development,” he said.
However, Mr. Hillier said he is ready to move on his plan.
Noting that the final purchase of the land is “all related to the final approvals,” he said Wednesday that he believes he will be able to proceed quickly because of the reduction of the site disturbance will allow the project’s engineering to be concentrated in a smaller area.
Mr. Hillier said his site plan will “take into account not only all the environmental things that we had proposed, but the sensitivity that was expressed by the folks that were opposed to the zoning change.”
He added, “We’re going to make it an absolute model project both as a community and as an environment. Frankly, the site becomes better the more it gets preserved, gets better as a place to live. It’s just going to be a great place, that’s all.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Hillier said his list of interested buyers includes 28 residents, all from Princeton Township and Princeton Borough.
