By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
The Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood on April 11 was made a historic district by the Princeton Council to recognize the historical significance of the once racially segregated section of town that today faces pressure from redevelopment.
By a 5-0 vote, the designation means the municipal Historic Preservation Commission will review all building improvements visible from the public right of way and that are not considered routine maintenance.
“If you want to change something that’s visible from the street, then we would determine if it’s a substantial change or if it could be heard administratively,” said Commission chairwoman Julie Capozzoli at the council meeting.
The vote makes this the 20th historic district in the community, a neighborhood that has a long history but today finds itself under pressure from builders tearing down old homes and building new ones in their place. Officials back in February signaled their support for designating the neighborhood, so the outcome Monday was not in doubt.
But during the meeting, Councilman Patrick Simon sought to warn residents of the “potential costs” they might incur when needing to seek approval for projects to fix up their houses. He cited a story from the New York Times, where the pastor of a church in the South Bronx is opposed to historic designation by the Landmarks Preservation Commission because it would drive up the price of repairs.
Along those lines, Pastor Kevin E. Bynes Sr. of Morning Star Church of God in Christ, located on Birch Avenue, sought to have three church properties removed from the district, a request the council turned down.
Public comment drew many of the same residents — in and out of the neighborhood — who have spoken at past meetings in favor of the district.
Reacting to the concerns Mr. Simon had raised, Michael Floyd said he did not think “this will be a big financial burden.”
Witherspoon-Jackson once was home to a large black population and other ethnic groups who lived in a section that once stretched all the way to Nassau Street. Over the years, it has evolved to include large numbers of immigrants from Central America. At the meeting, former borough mayor Yina Moore called Witherspoon-Jackson the “most diverse neighborhood in Princeton.”
“So this designation is not only integral in preserving the neighborhood but restoring the neighborhood to the vibrancy it once knew,” she said.
Two candidates for council, Leticia Fraga and Anne Neumann, voiced their support for the proposal. Some residents voiced support for encompassing more properties in the district, including those owned by The Princeton Packet, that the council left out.
“If what we’re trying to do is not simply acknowledge the history but to protect the neighborhood, then it seems to me it’s important to have a district and guidelines that ensure that the present composition of the neighborhood is maintained,” Republican mayoral candidate Peter Marks said.
Council will have to correct a mistake in the ordinance creating the district; a piece of the Princeton Cemetery was added by error. Rather than amend the ordinance and thus re-start the review and comment process, officials adopted the measure with the cemetery parcel included and agreed to correct the mistake by taking the property out “as soon as we can,” Councilwoman Jenny Crumiller said.
The council vote was unanimous, except for one member who could not participate in the decision. Council President Lance Liverman recused himself because he owns real estate on Quarry Street. He remained in the meeting room for the discussion and vote.
