To the Editor:
I write in strong support of Marina Rubina’s candidacy for Princeton Council. I’ve known Marina since I ran for Council myself in 2018. She is a local architect who has worked on a wide range of projects from single-family remodels and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to currently designing over a third of all our affordable housing units as part of our state compliance plan. During my own campaign and my six-year tenure on Princeton Council, she provided invaluable background information and acted as a sounding board as I learned about important issues in our neighborhoods and making effective decisions about land use and development issues in Princeton.
At this crucial juncture, when our land use regulations (aka the municipality’s zoning code) will be revised and rewritten over the next three years, and when key decisions will be made about the Westminster Choir College property, it is essential that Marina herself — someone who understands and has lived and worked with our land use codes — be at the table to represent us. This is a once in a generation opportunity to ensure that the former Borough and Township’s land use codes — dating from 1968 and 1974 — and the Westminster campus work for us rather than impeding the vision that so many of us share of a Princeton that is more affordable, with a variety of housing options to meet disparate needs; walkable and bikeable for all ages; community focused; and with more locally owned businesses and fewer big chains — among other things.
Marina has a tremendous work ethic and an impressive ability to communicate complex ideas, skills that are very important on Council. Marina’s design work and her emphasis on biking and walking also emphasize her commitment to sustainability. She is committed to green design and smart growth solutions. Marina is a problem solver, as recently demonstrated by her redesign, as the project architect, of an addition to a building located at the corner of Nassau and Harrison streets. That redesign ultimately met the goals and needs of the landowner as well as those of the “Save Jugtown” coalition that was concerned with preserving the integrity of an important 18thcentury building. This is the type of win-win solution that rarely occurs in Princeton. The objectors to the project actually testified at the Zoning Board in favor of the project, quite an unusual — perhaps singular — occurrence.
If you’re a member of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO) and are attending the Sunday March 15 local candidate endorsement meeting, please join me in voting for Marina. All registered Democrats and independents can vote in the June 2 primary. If you’re 17 and turn 18 by November 3, you can now register and vote in the primary.
Princeton needs leadership at this crucial time that is ready for the challenges we face now. We can all act on the local level to create the community that we want right here.