To The Editor:
This letter is in support of Marina Rubina for Princeton Council. I have known Marina for many years, specifically as a board member of Princeton Future and as an engaged citizen. Marina is an architect, planner, business owner, bicycle and transit user, blogger, and mother who is bright, dedicated, energetic, and knows the town’s zoning and administrative process well. She will be the most valuable, if not invaluable, new professional on the Council in the coming years. She is a pleasure to work with and is totally dedicated to this town.
As an emeritus professor of urban planning, visioning, and design; a board member of Princeton Future; and the founder of A. Nelessen Associates, which provided planning and design services for hundreds of clients worldwide, I am extraordinarily concerned about the upcoming election for town Council.
In March, I attended the Princeton Community Democratic Organization candidate’s forum, where I listened to all the candidate’s presentations and answers. There were very impressive candidates with insightful answers, but one fact became incredibly clear to me.
The Council needs a new member who can envision the future, while respecting the past; someone who has a sensitivity to the needs of our poorer residents and immigrants while respecting the history and richness of this town and the University.
The town of Princeton is at a critical time financially and physically. It is in the process of revising and consolidating its much outdated and complicated zoning code, which impacts the very fabric and coherence of this community — its building and streets, parks and open spaces, mobility, community facilities, taxes, and its budget. Marina Rubina is the only one of all the new candidates who truly understands land use zoning. She has had to deal with planning and zoning her entire professional career.
Our existing zoning is outdated, confusing and overly amended. The current code requires variances for almost any modifications because too many of the lots and buildings in our town are nonconforming. Too much time, money, and frustration are required for residents to get these variances. That money and time could be used for better purposes if Princeton had an appropriate new zoning code. Let’s plan for the future that people want, not what is required by our outdated zoning code.
The Council has to review and approve the detailed land use and zoning recommendations that will be made by a consultant, who is in the early stage of preparing this new code. The Council and the residents of this town will immeasurably be assisted by having another Council member, in addition to David Cohen, who is a trained architect and planner able to envision what the three-and-four-dimensional impacts of the zoning recommendations will be. That is only achieved through architectural training, and no other new candidate has this education and experience. So, let’s use it to get the best for our town. Elect Marina Rubina to fill this role.