To the Editor:
For years, my friends and neighbors — including senior citizens hoping to add a simple shower to a garage apartment to generate a little extra income — have been forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars in attorney fees, planners, and architects just to get approval for minor home additions. Even cutting down a single tree often requires approvals. These projects face scrutiny, delays, and costs that make even simple improvements challenging for the average resident.
Now, I see that the municipal Council has approved a massive, dense, luxury apartment complex on Stockton Street, right in the heart of our historic district.
This discrepancy is difficult to understand.
Could this set a concerning precedent for all of Princeton? If historic Stockton Street can be declared “blighted” to accommodate luxury high rises, what protections exist for other neighborhoods? Residents who know this section of Stockton Street — with its historic homes and tree-lined streets — must wonder how the Council could possibly justify declaring it “blighted.” What criteria were used that could transform one of Princeton’s most cherished historic neighborhoods into an area supposedly in need of redevelopment? When any neighborhood might be designated for high-density development, how can homeowners feel secure about their property values and quality of life? I encourage readers to visit defendhistoricprinceton.org to better understand how this might affect their own streets.
How can the Council explain requiring residents to endure such hardships for a simple garage addition — or even tree removal — while approving a project that many believe will permanently alter our town’s character, potentially worsen flooding, and increase traffic congestion?
Having the town share how these decisions were reached would certainly help alleviate community concerns. For example, might the Council disclose which members, if any, recused themselves from deliberations due to potential conflicts of interest? Sharing the criteria and process used for such unprecedented approvals would help residents better understand how these decisions align with our town’s planning goals.
The citizens of Princeton deserve clear explanations about how zoning rules are applied — and assurance that the same standards apply to all.