Borough group files petition to hold referendum on redevelopment plan

Concerned Citizens of Princeton filed a petition yesterday requesting a referendum on the bond ordinance for the downtown redevelopment plan.

Under the general bonding law, a referendum would be mandated by a petition with signatures of 15 percent of registered voters.

That is equivalent to 370 Princeton Borough residents. The 843 signatures collected by Concerned Citizens represents more than a third of registered voters.

However, the Borough did not adopt the bond ordinance under the general bonding law.

The Borough has designated the land as an "area in need of redevelopment" under the redevelopment law, which does not call for a referendum.

Because of this law the Borough clerk has been instructed to reject the petition, councilmen David Goldfarb and Roger Martindell said.

"The law is very clear," Goldfarb said. Jim Firestone, president of Concerned Citizens, said he was stunned that the Borough clerk has been instructed to reject the petition.

Firestone argued that the redevelopment law is reserved for "blighted" areas and that the land fails to meet the criteria of the redevelopment law.

Concerned Citizens' next step will be to file a lawsuit by the end of this month, asking a judge to decide whether the area fits the criteria, Firestone said.

"Princeton is clearly not a blighted area," he said. "We'd be very happy to put the matter to a judge. We believe a court would rule in favor of a citizen's right to vote."

If the area is deemed not in need of redevelopment, the petition delivered yesterday will mandate a referendum under the general bonding law.

"It really shows that the people want a say in what the government is doing," Firestone said.

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Martindell called the decision to reject the petition "unfortunate," saying that citizens should be heard.

"It's a huge investment that will, for the next 100 years, affect the voters of Princeton," he said.

The $13.5 million bond ordinance was approved 5 to 1 at the Dec. 17 Borough Council meeting. It will fund the construction of apartments, parking space, retail space and a food mart.

The plan has drawn criticism from many residents.

"It will bring more cars to problem areas where there's already traffic snarl in the towns," Firestone said.

One particularly divisive aspect of the plan is the 500-car parking garage, which Firestone said will detract from Princeton's small-town feel.

Martindell, the sole councilman who voted against the bond ordinance, said that he sympathizes with Concerned Citizens' cause.

"[The redevelopment plan] includes a 500-space garage, which will not solve downtown Princeton's parking problem," he explained. "The result is that it's an expensive project that will be unsightly, and the benefits of which will not outweigh the costs."

Borough Mayor Marvin Reed was unavailable for comment.