To the Editor:
A few weeks ago, I attended a series of presentations as part of the annual Safe Streets Program. One of panels was about the orange “Defend Historic Princeton” signs seen in Princeton. The speakers — Councilman Leighton Newlin and Felicia Spitz, chair of the Housing Authority — view these signs as “racist and elitist” based on the feeling that some displaying signs literally want no changes to who lives in the neighborhood and no new multifamily development. As a member of a household displaying the sign, I approached Newlin and we had a respectful discussion at the end of the meeting. My position is that the sign represents a difference of viewpoints.
I can only speak for our family and a few close neighbors who often discuss the proposed TRW development and have signs in front of their houses. We are not against having rental housing or affordable units or a diversity of residents in the neighborhood. The concerns include the height of the buildings, particularly because they are at the highest point of the street. The density — number of buildings and amount of open space — is also an issue because it is in an area of historic homes. Based on the number of parking spaces (200+), there is a question about the impact on Route 206 and Mercer Street during prime commuting hours. And finally, there is the concern about stormwater runoff, which is already an issue at the bottom of the street. The last two issues can be addressed by independent studies if they are thoroughly vetted by the Planning Board and Princeton Council.
These many concerns would be alleviated by a thoughtful proposal for a development that conforms to the zoning in this neighborhood (density, height, setbacks). And why not address the deficit of affordable housing in Princeton with a zoning-conforming project with more than the required 20 percent of such units?
I appreciate that there are differences of opinion on how Princeton will look in the next 25 years. I did come to an understanding about the use of the word “Defend” and why it is negatively viewed by others. I ask that fellow townspeople not decide what a person believes based on a sign. I hope that others who live in one of Princeton’s historic neighborhoods would be vigilant about any proposed development in order to preserve the character of the area while finding ways, such as adaptive reuse of buildings, to provide housing for different economic groups.