By Katie Wagner, Staff Writer
A lengthy Borough Council discussion on the curbing portion of the Cleveland Lane reconstruction project was followed by another lengthy discussion prompted by a Cleveland Lane homeowner’s opposition to the sidewalk planned for the front of her home.
The homeowner, Kristina Johnson of 70 Cleveland Lane, said the sidewalk would destroy her privacy because of the unusually close proximity of her house to the street compared to her neighbors.
”It’s an issue of privacy that is very important to me and that’s why I moved to Princeton,” Ms. Johnson said. “I have backyard parties and if I have a sidewalk right near the center of the parties my guests and I would be very exposed and the people walking by would be like participants.”
Her pleas did not convince members of the Township Council and Mayor Mildred Trotman, even after she invited them to come into her bedroom to see how close pedestrians would be if the sidewalk were constructed.
”I would feel I would have to sell the place and I wouldn’t be able to live there any longer … don’t cry Kristina,” she said. “I’d like to have you over there to see what it’s all about.”
The Borough Council also did not succumb to pleas made by state Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton) on Ms. Johnson’s behalf to build the proposed sidewalk across the street from instead of on her side of the street. The Borough Council told Ms. Johnson that getting the plan changed would require finding an engineer who could convince the borough’s engineer that an equally safe alternative existed by the beginning of June.
Ms. Johnson’s attorney, who also attended the meeting, said Ms. Johnson would attempt to meet the borough’s conditions.
