By Victoria Hurley-Schubert, Staff Writer
Zoning and increased density in plans proposed by the would-be developer at what will soon be the former hospital site was the topic of multiple discussions this week at Borough Council and a Site Plan Review Advisory Board meetings.
The zoning plan will be before the Princeton Regional Planning Board on April 19 and have a second hearing at Borough Council on April 24 for possible adoption.
The most controversial aspect of the plan is the density and number of units.
The zoning in place allots 280 units on the site with 56 marked as affordable housing. The proposed developer, AvalonBay, wants to build 324 units without increasing the number of affordable housing units.
The developer is amiable to a proposal of nine workforce housing units, which will bring the affordable component to 20 percent in borough zoning rules.
The bulk and massing of the project concerned advisory board members on Wednesday night.
”The building … presents a massive frontage to the community,” said Joshua Zinder, board member and local architect. “That’s where the issue is.”
Board member Robert Cerutti questioned the “endless corridors” that are a result of hallways that are 300 feet long and five feet wide.
”I would call the project relentless. You have so many minor jogs and transitions,” said Pamela Lucas Rew. “We want a greater difference. There isn’t any difference between one end and the other. It’s massive. This is scaleless right now.”
”I agree it’s uninviting and not in the spirit of the town,” said board alternate Anne Waldron Neumann.
After hearing discussion about open space and access to the site by the public, board members were still did not lose focus on the size of the buildings.
Ron Ladell, senior vice president at AvalonBay Communities, said his company is trying to create a project that requires the least amount of variances possible within the standards already in place.
”We are trying not to reinvent the wheel,” he said.
AvalonBay representatives were not invited to the Borough Council meeting on Tuesday, but did present for the advisory board.
”I think its unfortunate they have not been asked to be here to answer any questions,” said Council President Barbara Trelstad.
Borough Planner Lee Solow recapped the plan for the 5.6 acres of land within the hospital site and a small portion of the parking garage Tuesday night. The property for rezoning does not include two medical office buildings in the Township along Witherspoon Street.
Amendments to the zoning provide additional signage, child care, leasing office and lofts on the top floor and setbacks. The most controversial element of the plan is the raising of the number of units from the approved 280 to 324.
Any ordinance changes would apply to AvalonBay or any other developer that wants to build at the site, said Mr. Solow.
AvalonBay has spent a lot of money up front to do a full site plan with elevations and engineering work in addition to environmental and traffic studies.
”We did it solely to allow transparency,” said Mr. Ladell on Wednesday. “Our hope was and in full candor, we are concerned about timing. Princeton has a great reputation for reviewing applications thoroughly and we are happy to go through that process. What I am concerned with is come Dec. 31, 2012, the Regional Planning Board doesn’t exist any more. There will be a new non-regional planning board and I’m concerned with what happens to pending applications at that time. No one can answer that question that I’ve asked.”
The Borough Council welcomed public comment on the project in advance of next week’s planning board meeting. Mayor Yina Moore and Councilwoman Jenny Crumiller both sit on the Regional Planning Board.
On Tuesday, Jacqueline Shire of Moore Street said all AvalonBay communities look alike and they are not very well-liked by their tenants, based on comments and reviews found online.
”When I read that AvalonBay won the right to build in our community I was surprised Princeton would yield to a developer synonymous with mediocre, very large scale rental housing developments,” she said. “I wonder whether people have looked at photographs of other AvalonBay developments. I would encourage people to do so and note that the four I’m looking at right now look identical to what is proposed for Princeton, indicating to me that very little imagination, care or creativity was put into AvalonBay’s Princeton proposal.”
Noting the borough has “outstanding borough code regulations” to shape the proposed ordinance, Daniel Harris, a township resident, urged borough officials to stick to its zoning laws, recalling how the township fought poor planning in one of its developments to get a project the community could support.
”Without law disaster results,” he said. “Code is backbone and not to be amended at random,”
Dr. Mark Gottardis, a hospital neighbor, “does not want to see a bait and switch,” and wants to see the 280 units built and his neighborhood preserved. He vowed to fight the increased density.
”I want it to stay the way it is and I will fight you, I will fight you during your elections and I will be tireless in my neighborhood to find out who supports changing this and who stays the same,” he said. “I ask you to consider the neighborhood, that’s what I haven’t heard.”
Keeping the zoning will protect the neighborhood, he added.
”I worry about the bulk that will appear at the hospital site,” said Helmut Schwab, an 83-year-old borough resident. “The rules are made to give us a future for our community.”
