To the Editor:

I attended the recent Princeton Zoning Board meeting where I watched the Board vote to allow yet another tear down in our town, this the second on my small cul-de-sac occupied by modest dwellings. The proposed replacement home is similar to the other tear-down/build-up on our  block. Actually, it’s almost identical save for the garage being on the left side of the home as opposed to the right. I guess that’s what passes for innovation and unique style in Princeton these days. 

My neighbors and I attended the meeting and voiced our concerns. Some members of the Board were sympathetic but essentially said that their hands were tied and that the Council must change the ordinance if Princetonians want a different outcome. People need to take an active role in getting changes through the Council, we were told.

In preparing to attend tonight’s meeting, I did some googling around and came upon a New York Times article that made mention of Princeton’s efforts to grapple with the teardown issue. That article was from 2005. The reality is that plenty of citizens have voiced concerns to the Council over the years (and, yes, are doing so presently), but nothing gets done. 

While I find the situation to be frustrating in many ways, what really gets me is the municipality’s hypocrisy. Larger homes use more energy (yes, even with energy efficiency upgrades) and get filled with more stuff, stuff that has to be created and shipped before used. In other words, lots of energy use. And that’s to say nothing of the wastefulness of demolishing what are often perfectly fine structures, featuring perfectly adequate kitchen cabinets, built-in shelving, etc., etc. 

So, here’s my piece: Princeton, stop talking to me about composting my organics and recycling my trash and riding my bike and managing my yard waste until you’re willing to do something about the teardowns. Want to take a stand on climate change? Let’s deal with the elephant on the block. 

Patricia Berhau

Morgan Place