At a Feb. 6 meeting at Township Hall, the Princeton Regional Planning Board heard the longterm plans for downtown redevelopment assembled by Princeton Future, a volunteer organization created to study ways of improving the town environment.
The Regional Board unanimously voted to refer Princeton Future's plan to its master plan subcommittee. The planning board is responsible for updating the community's master plan every six years, Borough Mayor Marvin Reed said.
"The kind of thing that [Princeton Future] did was very creative and very helpful," Reed said.
Princeton Future studied five zones within the community that could be better integrated into the town and identified seven principles that should be recognized in future development, such as making downtown more accommodating to pedestrians and preserving socioeconomic diversity.
The group's plan stated the need for diversification of ethnic and financial backgrounds. "We do not need to be just another enclave," said Peter Madison, regional planning board member.
Princeton Future's plan does not attempt to make the town more uniform architecturally but rather seeks more interaction between its sub-neighborhoods, Madison said.
The Borough Council has expressed concerns that the downtown could become overdeveloped and congested.
However, Princeton Future assured the board that the plan does not allow taller buildings downtown, which would detract from the small-town charm of the neighborhood.
The plan does not call for changes in zoning regulations to permit buildings higher than 65 feet or to encourage the growth of downtown into surrounding neighborhoods, The Princeton Packet reported.
Some residents have opposed downtown development over fears of congestion and the lack of citizen input into the planning process. One controversial issue has been the proposed downtown parking garage, which is included in Princeton Future's redevelopment plan.
The Concerned Citizens of Princeton, a neighborhood group, has filed a lawsuit against the Borough in hopes of stopping the construction of the garage.
"[Princeton Future] tried to find the consensus about what people felt in each neighborhood, but in reality they didn't ask enough people to really achieve a consensus," said Jim Firestone, president of Concerned Citizens.
However, Reed said that the group's work was a gift to the Princeton. "Most communities would have to pay dearly for that kind of expert advice," he said.
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