By Anne Levin

Princeton Council approved two resolutions on Monday, November 24 for a preliminary investigation to determine if the Westminster Choir College property, which the municipality acquired this past April, qualifies as a Non-Condemnation Area in Need of Redevelopment.

The meeting of the governing body included additional resolutions as well as presentations on the feasibility of a stormwater utility and the town’s long-range capital plan. Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros reported that the town is looking to rename the current bus route and come up with a name for the recently announced new route. The deadline is December 3 to offer suggestions at princetonnj.gov.

Redevelopment attorney Steven Mlenak said the ordinances related to the former Westminster property are simply to investigate the possibility of an Area in Need of Redevelopment plan, which would have to be reviewed by the Planning Board before coming back
to Council.

“I know there have been questions about why the municipality would have to do this on properties it owns,” he said. “It’s simply the law.”

Council also passed a resolution lowering the speed limit on Route 27 to 25 miles per hour from Bayard Lane to Snowden Lane [Nassau Street] and 35 miles per hour from Snowden Lane to the boundary of South Brunswick Township. The changes had been recommended by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) following a review considering increased density, patterns of usage by pedestrians and bicyclists, and additional factors.

Councilman David Cohen commented that the municipality’s traffic safety committee was happy to hear that the NJDOT was in favor of the reduction. Councilman Brian McDonald said, “I know there are a good number of Princeton residents who live along that corridor and are really excited about this, and feel it is a major step in making it safer for residents and children.”

Following a presentation by Deputy Administrator/Municipal Engineer Deanna Stockton and Assistant Municipal Engineer Jim Purcell on the status of the Stormwater Feasibilty Study, Council gave the go-ahead for moving to

the next phase. Princeton Hydro is the consultant for the project.

Stockton and Purcell reported that Phase 3 would involve refining the cost model. At the end of that phase, Council will be asked to decide on whether to create a utility. The current stormwater program is paid for with taxes.

“The funds needed for permit compliance activities must be provided, and the opportunity exists to achieve target revenue goals with a more equitable distribution under a utility than an increase in a tax-based charge based on property value,” reads the executive summary of the plan (available in the agenda for the meeting on the municipal website princetonnj.gov). Additionally, a utility provides a source of dedicated funding for these expenditures in lieu of the many priorities competing for General Fund resources.”

Change is necessary because staff are currently over-extended in efforts to comply with the MS4 [municipal stormwater] permit mandates, many of which are a continuation of existing requirements and some of which are new initiatives that must be institutionalized no later than 2027.

Extreme weather events have created a greater need for resiliency, which the town’s current stormwater program is not able to meet.

“We function in a reactive mode,” Stockton said. “We need to shift to proactive.”

The next meeting of Council is Monday, December 8 at 7 p.m.