To the Editor:

As a longtime Princeton resident, I am concerned about the proposed plan being heard by Princeton’s Planning Board on Thursday, regarding the land lease variance sought by the Princeton Academy of The Sacred Heart. The proposal seeks to add 4.2 acres of plastic turf as ground cover, more than the 50 percent maximum allowed.

In addition to the obvious problems due to rainwater runoff, plastic turf fails to provide a suitable habitat for threatened and endangered species including animals, reptiles, birds, and bees. The huge amount of the plastic cover proposed will disrupt the biodiversity of the Princeton Ridge area and cause irreparable ecological damage. The proposed light towers will also generate unacceptable levels of both noise and bright light.

We, as Princeton residents, rely on the Planning Board to protect our property rights. As outlined in Princeton Community’s Master Plan, “Regional planning is given high priority. The Planning Board works with the neighboring communities on changes in land use, to adjudicate land use applications in accordance with state and local regulations and to assure that all permitted development is designed so as to be as harmonious as possible with the surrounding neighborhood.”

Marie Levine
Heather Lane