A revised plan for the former location of Princeton Hospital on Witherspoon Street was presented to a sometimes testy public last Wednesday evening by AvalonBay, the development company that wants to build a 280-unit rental community at the site. With five buildings instead of one, at lower heights, the plan contains some key differences from the original, which Princeton’s Planning Board voted to turn down at the end of last year.

The meeting was held in the auditorium of Community Park School. Strategically placed signs urged the public to “Share Your Feedback,” but some people appeared disgruntled when they realized that questions following the presentation would be taken in small interest groups rather than in front of the entire gathering. “I really wish they would have acted more like community members at this meeting and let it be an open forum,” said Princeton architect Joshua Zinder, who was among those in attendance. “There is something in that action that implies they’re trying to hide something.”

AvalonBay vice president Jay Vogel, who is now in charge of the project instead of Ron Ladell, led the meeting. Mr. Vogel specializes in green building principles. “It has always been our intention to do Energy Star here,” he said, referring to the company’s sustainability initiatives. The project also has design standards consistent with LEED certification, he said. Further green options are being explored, including LED site lighting, recycled content brick, and rainwater harvesting for irrigation.

The new plan takes on charges that the development was designed as a gated community by adding a new street that runs through the middle and connects with Henry Avenue, and space left between the building adjacent to the parking garage and the garage itself, creating permeability. The swimming pool that many complained about is still planned, but it is smaller. A public park designed for the corner of Witherspoon Street and Franklin Avenue is larger than in the previous plan.

“This is a very serious effort to address the comments we received,” Mr. Vogel said. “We’re taking a very hard and serious look to do the right thing.”

Architect Jonathan Metz of Perkins Eastman provided details of architectural changes. The five buildings include townhouses as well as larger structures. Roof lines use a mix of pitched roofs, dormers, and lowered corner elements.

“The new scheme, formally, is substantially better,” Mr. Zinder commented last Friday. “But aesthetically I wish they were doing more to tie it to the community.” Referring to the largest building, he added, “I don’t really understand why they need to run pitched roofs over the whole thing. A building of that size should have some texture to it. It seems, materially, to be too finicky. There aren’t any big bold moves. It looks like they were designing the exterior with only budget in mind instead of the community in mind.”

There was some discussion over whether the 56 affordable housing units in the proposed community are spread throughout the complex. When Kate Warren of Princeton Citizens for Sustainable Neighborhoods asked Mr. Vogel if any of the units face the courtyard, and he replied that they did not, fellow PCSN trustee Daniel Harris accused Mr. Vogel of segregating the affordable units. “They’re not segregrated, Daniel, and I’m not going to let you take me hostage,” Mr. Vogel said. “I’m sorry.” (See letter from Jane Buttars in this week’s Mailbox)

One neighborhood resident asked Mr. Vogel why there was no retail element in the revised design. “It is not a viable site for retail,” he responded.

AvalonBay filed the plans with the town on May 17. The first Planning Board hearing is scheduled for June 27, with further hearings to follow on three consecutive Thursdays beginning July 11.