To the Editor:
The full-page ad with the heading “Massive Luxury Project Imperils Princeton Historic District” in the September 10 edition of the Town Topics features a rendering of Herring Properties’ latest plans for the Stockton Street project. In just one image — more powerful than 1,000 words could communicate — it’s clear why Princeton’s historic district needs to be treasured and protected.
The overbearing buildings are twice the height of the houses on Hibben Road and Edgehill Street. The development would be the densest housing complex in any residential zone in Princeton and 18 and a half times the density of the current neighborhood. How can the Princeton Council in good conscience approve such an architectural monstrosity in the heart of our town’s historic district?
Princeton’s history is something to be proud of, particularly because The Battle of Princeton was a turning point in the War of Independence. Can’t something far more modest and in scale with the surrounding houses — many that date back to the 1830s, plus The Barracks, which was built in 1685 — be considered? And why not allocate more than 20 percent for affordable housing in a redrafted site plan?