By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
Princeton resident Michele Comer was OK with living next to the American Boy Choir School on Lambert Drive.
She and her neighbors, who pay high property taxes to live in an expensive part of town, say they have problems with a planned 300 student boarding school seeking to go in its place.
Their concerns start with Princeton International School of Mathematics and Science looking to increase the density on the roughly 17.5 acre campus that sits in a residential area. A school official said last week that the high school anticipates needing three more buildings to augment what is there.
Janet Simon, a Rosedale Road resident, said Thursday that the land has a conditional use permit for a school of up to around 82 students, though the property is zoned residential; the former Boy Choir School campus once was a private estate. She said neighbors want to see the existing density in their neighborhood preserved.
”The (Boy Choir School) school came after the neighborhood, so the land use that’s currently in place with the conditional use permit is essentially what the contract is that the owners of the homes signed up for,” Ms. Simon said. “The concern is that the (boarding) school is going to be applying … for rezoning of the property. And that rezoning would allow a density of over 300 students and over 350, potentially, occupants on that site.”
”This isn’t an established institution that we know is going to be around for many years to come,” she continued. “And so to make the choice to rezone this land on an experiment, this school may fail and then we’re still left with this density change for any other school that could come in.”Denise Benou Stires, the chief operating officer of the school, said Friday that the school aims to reach 300 studentsalthough not all at once. As a boarding school, it would have 70 percent of students living on campus and the rest day students. Some school staff would live on campus too.
In the short term, the school wants to bring 30 to 40 high school graduates from China for a “bridge program” this summer to take courses at the school and at Rutgers University. The intent is to help them apply to American colleges.
In the fall, she said, the school is aiming to have 30 high school freshmenmost from China taking classes on campus. There are plans to renovate the main campus building and do other work on campus.
To residents who live in an area of town where taxes run $15,000 and up, some think the school will harm their neighborhood. Ms. Comer expressed concerns about traffic flow changing, delivery trucks coming in and out and decreased property values.
”Why would anyone want to purchase our homes when you have a huge institution basically right up against your house?” she asked. “It no longer has the appeal.”
Ms. Benou Stires countered that the rezoning would require a farther setback from the property line than currently allowed. She also said some neighbors have been supportive of the school.
”I think the bigger issues are your ability to enjoy the peace and quiet of your property,” said Ms. Simon, whose backyard is on a road that is in and out of the school. “For anybody who lives on Rosedale, we’re already on a busy street, so our backyards are our sanctuaries.”
Beginning in 1950, the Boy Choir School operated out of a private estate. Enrollment was low; neighbors said there were never any problems, such that Lambert Drive resident Paula Gordon said it felt like the school was not there.
”It was never something that impacted the enjoyment of your property,” she said.
The Boy Choir campus sold for $5.9 million, as the school relocated to a former Catholic seminary in Plainsboro. The boarding school is owned by The Bairong Education Foundation, financially backed by a Chinese businessman, Jiang Bairong.
School officials invited residents to a second information meeting on campus Wednesday, with about 17 people attending.
”I would say clearly the neighborhood is opposed. There is strong opposition,” Ms. Simon said.
”They should have really found another piece of property that was larger for what they really need,” Ms. Comer said, “because this property is frankly too small.”
School representatives were due to appear before the Princeton Council on Monday to start the conversation about getting the site rezoned, but that appearance was postponed.
”We listened. We heard,” said Ms. Benou Stires. “We want to be thoughtful as to how we proceed so we are postponing our appearance before the municipal council to allow us time to consider the input we have received.”
