Council Delays Vote On Ordinance Limiting Business Hours
A vote on whether to approve an ordinance restricting business hours for establishments located near residential neighborhoods was postponed at Monday night’s Princeton Council meeting due to the absence of Council president Bernie Miller. Mayor Liz Lempert urged the governing body to wait until the December 15 meeting, when Mr. Miller is expected back, and Council members agreed to wait.
A controversial issue between merchants, most of whom oppose the measure, and residents, most of whom are in favor of it, the ordinance was introduced last month with Council members Heather Howard, Lance Liverman, and Mr. Miller voting for it, and Jenny Crumiller, Jo Butler, and Patrick Simon against. Mayor Lempert broke the tie by voting in favor of the introduction.
The measure, which would require businesses to close between the hours of 2 and 5 a.m., would apply to businesses in or directly adjacent to homes in residential zones. Originally, establishments within 200 feet of the homes were affected, but that buffer was removed following talks last summer. Pharmacies and restaurants with liquor licenses would be exempt from the ordinance.
Merchants opposing it included Robert Bratman, who owns the property that formerly housed the West Coast Video store on East Nassau Street. The site has stood vacant for several years. Mr. Bratman wants to bring a 7-Eleven convenience store to the property, and 7-Eleven’s business model is for stores to remain open 24 hours. In response to residents’ concerns about crime and security, he said the store would be well lit and include security cameras.
Steven Schultz, a resident of Pine Street, said the ordinance would hopefully prevent incidents such as one in which a late-night drunk driver hit a car, which landed in his driveway. Local resident Marty Schneiderman spoke in favor of the measure. “The ordinance, as it is, is reasonable, mild, and wide in its current arrangement,” he said. Also hoping to see it pass was resident Wendy Ludlum, who called it “a really good compromise” and said “it takes into the consideration the rhythms of our town.”
But Maple Street resident Gail Ullman, who is on the town’s Planning Board, urged Council to use caution in proceeding with the ordinance. “My concern is the reason for this ordinance. None of these circumstances [loitering, littering] exist at the moment,” she said. “I believe the ordinance is in response to fear, rather than reason.”
Lou Carnevale, who owns the property next to Mr. Bratman’s, said, “This ordinance is looking for a problem that does not exist. If there is a problem, you have the ability to change it. Why pass a law before it’s necessary?”
Clearly unhappy with Council’s decision to table the ordinance was resident Joe Small, who called the issue “an imaginary problem” and called the move to postpone the vote unprofessional. He complained that the ordinance shows special consideration for Princeton University by making the University Store and the Wawa convenience store on campus exempt from the regulations. “It favors the Wawa over 7-Eleven and it favors the University as a landlord over Mr. Bratman,” he said, also questioning whether Ms. Howard, who lectures at the University, and Mayor Lempert, whose husband teaches there, should exempt themselves from the vote.
The ordinance is now scheduled for a vote at the December 15 meeting, which will also allow for further comment from the public.
An ordinance that did pass at the meeting was the one that merges previous Borough and Township regulations related to historic preservation. The measure was introduced last month and was referred to the Planning Board, which recommended its passage by Council. Members of the governing body voted unanimously in its favor.