With the impending departure of the University Medical Center at Princeton to its new Plainsboro campus on Route 1, the Borough is faced with redeveloping the former hospital property, which consists of 9.8 acres in the heart of the town. The Borough Council met last night to discuss a zoning amendment to the site on Witherspoon Street, which would increase the number of proposed residential units from 280 homes to 324.
Mayor Yina Moore ’79 prefaced the discussion of the amendment by reminding the council and public audience that the meeting would not end in any final decisions or a vote on the issues at hand. The meeting included a presentation from a representative of Avalon Bay, the main developer of the site, and from the Environmental Commission, both of whom spoke extensively on the planned amenities of the plan and discussed affordable housing issues.
The spokesperson for Avalon Bay offered a detailed description of the residential project as a whole, which would consist of two five-story buildings with a laundry list of green amenities including geothermal heating, solar panels, a community garden, green house and shaded open space and ice rink.
The council also spent considerable time discussing the topic of housing allotments within the residential units. The Borough requires affordable housing to consist of 20 percent of total units.
Also under consideration is housing with a specific “Princeton Preference,” which the Council would reserve specifically for members of the Princeton community who would benefit from living in a central location in town. Councilman Kevin Wilkes ’83 suggested “Princeton Preference” housing would be especially useful as workforce housing for public volunteers, EMT squad members and firefighters.
Avalon Bay plans to submit a full site plan with the amendment in 10 to 15 days and address more zoning issues in the spring.
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