Princeton Council Special Meeting Focus On Franklin Avenue Plan

PRINCETON, NJ — At a special council meeting held on June 30, council members discussed the Franklin Avenue Mixed-Income Housing project and introduced recommendations made by the members leading the task force.

But many residents expressed concern over the recommended design plans for the project saying it would encroach into their privacy.

The project was put in place after the Fair Share Housing Center had sued Princeton and other New Jersey towns for failing to provide their share of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households.

The Franklin Avenue Task Force was divided into three groups - Access, Streetscape and Infrastructure Committee; Sustainability and Landscape Committee, and Site Planning Committee.

The groups presented their findings and recommendations to the council at the meeting. The council did not take action on the reports but will review them further.

Councilmember David Cohen, Michelle Pirone Lambros, and Mia Sacks of the Affordable Housing Committee will review the reports with partners Princeton Housing Authority and Community Investment Strategies.

Heidi Fichtenbaum from the Sustainability and Landscape Committee said Princeton needs to have architects with experience in designing high-energy efficiency buildings. The committee suggested that Princeton aim for a ‘Passive House’ design. This German-inspired design standard intends to achieve dramatic reductions in energy consumption and yield better air quality for tenants. Many municipalities across Europe have begun to incorporate this design into local building codes.

The committee suggested an outdoor include space that included recreation and gardening for residents of all ages. They recommended creating a new public plaza of approximately 5,000 square feet on the corner of Witherspoon Street and Franklin Avenue as a welcoming gesture (the “hand-shake”) to the Witherspoon Jackson neighborhood. You can read the entire report here.

Joel Schwartz from the Access, Streetscape and Infrastructure Committee said for a successful design strategy it was important to link together three factors — understanding a site, having clear, articulate design goals and producing results that are intended (read the report here). Carlos Rodriquez from the Site Planning Committee presented recommendations from the group.

Last year the council adopted two ordinances, paving the way for creating 80 affordable housing units and 30 market-rate units at Franklin Terrace and Maple Terrace Developments.

During the public comment section, resident Harold Heft said the “process was not as open" as promised. “No website was ever established. No interviews were done with residents living in an adjacent community,” Heft said.

Resident Joshua Zinder said the design and process need to be more innovative to address issues of the Jefferson and Witherspoon Jackson community and current residents. “Rather than getting into a critique, my real question is what is the next step and how does this move forward? Our community needs these apartments,” he said. “More planning and more discussion isn't going to bring us there."

Another resident who went by the first name Martha expressed concern about the proposed size of the building. “My main concern is the height of the buildings, they will tower over our properties alone the Jefferson Road line, which is not pleasant for us.” She also said the proposed driveway along the road could increase noise levels in the neighborhood.

The project has to go through construction and review approval and the deadline for completion is 2023.

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