Borough and Township residents expressed their support for the University’s proposed Arts and Transit Neighborhood in local advertisements last week that urged the municipal governments to move forward on approving the University’s zoning requests.
A full-page advertisement appeared in Town Topics on Wednesday encouraging the Borough Council and Township Committee to “permit this project to move forward in a timely matter” with a list of the names of nearly 320 Borough and Township residents who support the University’s proposed neighborhood. About 30 more residents added their names to the list in a similar ad in The Princeton Packet on Friday.
The University requested a zoning ordinance several months ago that would allow it to expand its arts buildings along the Alexander Street corridor. University-town relations have become strained over the issue. Phyllis Marchand, the former mayor of Princeton Township, who initiated the ads, said she wanted to express her support for the Arts and Transit Neighborhood in spite of what she described as the majority opinion of the community and arguments against the neighborhood at recent public meetings.
Marchand explained that the neighborhood would be a “wonderful, wonderful addition for our community,” both as a center for the arts and as a Dinky location that would be more accessible by car.
“The University probably is losing its patience with the amount of time this has taken,” Marchand said of recent negotiations. “The assets are so obvious that I just hope that the governing bodies act soon.”
Under an agreement made in February, the University and the two municipalities are required to come to a final decision by the end of this month. Formal action may be taken at a joint Borough-Township meeting on Wednesday evening.
Local officials have expressed their dissatisfaction with the ad. “There was sort of the impression given [in the ad] that [the Council was] somehow holding this up,” Councilwoman Jo Butler said. “I’ve spoken to a couple of people whose names were in the ads, and it seemed like they were not really thoroughly informed about where we are in the process.”
Opposition to the neighborhood has largely focused on the proposed relocation of the Dinky station 460 feet south, which would inconvenience its users, detractors say.
“I would never get that concerned about the moving of the Dinky,” said Linda Meisel, a Borough resident and signatory of Marchand’s ad. “I didn’t think it was that big of an issue.”
“Some people have the misconception that it’s got to be all or nothing, that in order to have the Arts and Transit Neighborhood then the Dinky must be moved,” Dan Preston, president of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization, said. “There are really many options for having the Dinky where it is, with very minor changes to the arts and transit district,” he added.
Concerns have begun to arise within the Borough Council that the Council’s decision on the zoning ordinance could affect the University’s annual voluntary payment in lieu of taxes to the municipality. The current agreement, under which the University paid $1.2 million to the Borough for the 2011 budget, is set to expire this year.
“I think it was unfortunate that the powers that be in Nassau Hall decided to move forward with a zoning application premised upon the withdrawal of their financial support to the community,” Borough Councilman Roger Martindell said. “I don’t intend to negotiate with the zoning discussion based upon the University’s continuation of the PILOT or threatened withdrawal of the PILOT,” he added, referring to remarks made by University President Shirley Tilghman at a January Council meeting suggesting that the zoning decision may affect the University’s approach to PILOT discussions.
“I don’t think one thing has anything to do with the other,” Marchand said of the PILOT and the Dinky. “The University doesn’t have to give anybody anything.”
University Vice President and Secretary Robert Durkee ’69, who has said that the decision may in fact affect the University’s support of the municipality, noted that the University’s many public presentations over the past few years had helped generate community support for the project. “It was very encouraging to see members of the community come forward and express support for the project,” he added.
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