A 14-month-long hearing on a plan to build 96 age-restricted housing units east of Bunn Drive in Princeton Township appears headed for closure, though individuals familiar with the situation indicate that no matter how Princeton Township's Zoning Board of Adjustment decides, the battle is likely to continue.
Tonight, members of the Zoning Board are fully expected to either endorse or reject the housing plan submitted by developer Regal Homes, which is seeking to build its Morgan Estates brand of housing there, potentially putting to rest a lengthy examination, while another chapter in senior housing is set to get underway.
The Township is expected in the coming weeks to begin deliberating a separate, 48-unit senior townhouse complex on Mount Lucas Road near Redding Circle on five lots over nearly 28 wooded acres. That proposal, formerly known as Intell, and now submitted by applicant Princeton Senior Townhomes, falls in the Township's Residential Senior Community Overlay zone, and will, in all likelihood, attract similar attention for its environmentally sensitive location.
The proposal being heard tonight has faced consistent opposition since first being heard by the Zoning Board more than a year ago, with Township zoners charged to determine whether the land is suitable for condominium-style housing, and weighing in on the merits of issuing a major variance in the existing zoning code. That determination could occur this evening, as the Zoning Board hears final arguments from lawyers representing the nearby Governors Lane housing development and corporate neighbor Church & Dwight, as well as from the applicant. The Board is expected to deliberate until it reaches a decision, sources indicate.
A main point of contention for those opposed is, in part, related to potential site plan concerns if the Zoning Board were to allow this type of housing to be built there, on what is commonly known as the Princeton Ridge, which environmentalists point to as a Township area that could be preserved, citing rocky soils, overall ecological sensitivity, and wildlife indigenous to the area. Further, residents of Governors Lane just southeast of the site, who are among the most vocal opponents, worry about the possible impact of stormwater runoff.
In January, the board held a public hearing on the proposed development, with both sides making their cases. Residents in favor argue that Princeton is lacking in market rate housing for Princeton's aging population, and fear that increasing levels of seniors living on fixed income will have to relocate out of town, while those opposed, citing the aforementioned environmental issues, argue that Morgan is marketing age restricted units, serving 55 and up, rather than the more restrictive resident requirements involved in 62-and-up housing.
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The Princeton Township Zoning Board of Adjustment will review the Morgan Estates development tonight, February 28, at 7:30 p.m., at Township Hall.