To the Editor:
Councilmember Lambros makes a compelling case for inclusionary development in Princeton as a way to honor the town’s history and ensure its healthy future [“True Preservation Isn’t About Freezing Town in Time — It’s About Keeping it Alive,” Mailbox, October 15]. As someone who has lived for 32 years on Princeton’s oldest residential street, and as a founding member of the Princeton Coalition for Responsible Development (PCRD), I share those goals. My concern lies not in the ideals themselves, but in how we pursue them — particularly with respect to the proposed development at 108 Stockton.
While Ms. Lambros speaks eloquently about inclusion and progress, her letter ultimately defends the construction of a four-story, 238-unit luxury apartment complex, complete with a rooftop deck and swimming pool. This project would replace three historic buildings and a large green open space with 75 percent impervious surface, posing serious stormwater challenges for neighboring homes in the Mercer Hill Historic District. Its scale would overwhelm the setting, transforming what should be a gateway enhancement into a dense, urban-style complex out of character with the surrounding neighborhood.
I also take issue with framing this debate as a referendum on affordable housing. No one I know — including the many residents behind Defend Historic Princeton and the members of PCRD — opposes affordable housing. Quite the opposite. We have consistently advocated for a development model that emphasizes affordability, ownership, and neighborhood compatibility: townhouses that reflect the scale and architecture of their surroundings while offering a pathway to equity and stability for residents. Done right, this site could become a model for responsible, inclusive housing in Princeton and beyond.
It’s also important to remember that the Mercer Hill Historic District is not one of Princeton’s wealthiest neighborhoods. Many of its residents live in homes that are fully or partially subsidized by the educational institutions they serve, with Princeton Theological Seminary as the largest landholder in the area.
The property at 108 Stockton may have a contract purchaser, but according to tax records, the Seminary remains the owner of record. What better way for both the Seminary and the town to honor Princeton’s history — and secure its inclusive future — than by creating a project that truly embodies the spirit of “Princeton for All”?