By Anne Levin

At a work session to finalize the second phase of the Witherspoon Street redesign plan on Monday night, Princeton Council heard descriptions of two concepts for the section of the roadway stretching from Green Street to Franklin Avenue.

One does not involve substantial changes, and is mostly focused on safety improvements. The other would necessitate a loss of 45 percent of parking spaces, the removal of existing parking meters, loss of some mature trees, and other changes, to make room for a protected bike lane that some feel could compromise safety.

Hearing both concepts, and listening to some comments from the public, Council opted to take time for further study before giving the engineering department the green light to move into the design phase. To avoid losing a $625,000 grant in state funding, a construction contract must be awarded by November 19 of this year.

Princeton Municipal Engineer Deanna Stockton and Senior Planner Justin Lesko took Council through the details of both concepts, ultimately recommending approval of the first one, which Stockton said the Historic Preservation Commission also supports. The alternative option, which would involve moving utility poles and hopefully putting utilities underground, was considered not completely viable by PSE&G.

“We met with them and they were very hesitant to believe that this electrical system could go underground,” Stockton said. “It would not be the same type of system as in the central business district. We would need to place transformers above ground within the right of way with specific requirements.”

PSE&G estimated that it would cost $3 million to go underground, Stockton added. “Where do other utilities like gas, water, and telecommunications go? We’re not saying it can’t be done, but we’re hearing that it’s highly unlikely.”

Since there is no money left in the municipal budget to support further assistance from the consultants T&M Associates on this phase, Council is referring questions to staff before making a decision on the design phase at a coming meeting.

Responding to complaints from residents about noisy overnight construction on Nassau Street, in preparation for the first phase of the Witherspoon Street project, Assistant Municipal Engineer James Purcell said there is “a light at the end of the tunnel.” Work will now be four nights a week, from 6:30 p.m. to 6 a.m., and won’t include Friday nights, he said.

“Most of the heaviest, noisiest work is done early in the shift, so with any luck the work being done while people are sleeping will be of less magnitude,” he said. “Hopefully everybody survives this. It has been a tough haul for the last few weeks. We sympathize with the public but the gas main has to be shut off, and they have to dig by hand, so it is taking a long time.”

The night work will be completed in two to three weeks, and work on Witherspoon Street will be done during the day, Purcell said.

Mayor Mark Freda chastised an unnamed member of the public who cursed at municipal arborist Taylor Sapudar because the town has removed the Bradford pear trees on Witherspoon Street before allowing them to bloom one last time. “They used the f-bomb and another word I cannot repeat, to describe what they thought of him,” Freda said, adding that the person owes Sapudar an apology.

The decision was made unilaterally to remove the trees, which flower for two weeks in the spring, because they are now considered invasive and at the end of their life spans. They will be replaced by a diverse selection of shade trees that are better suited to the urban environment. Freda read a statement from the Shade Tree Commission in favor of the removal.

Drew Dyson of Princeton Senior Resource Center delivered a report, focusing on the success of its Vaccine Navigator program during the pandemic, and the opening of its new building on Poor Farm Road. He called the center’s relationship with the municipality “a model of a private-public-nonprofit partnership.”

A report on Princeton Public Library was given by Executive Director Jennifer Podolsky and Finance Director Susan Chernik. Podolsky talked about the library’s function during COVID-19, and said it has long fulfilled many functions as a community center. The high cost of recruiting, training, and retaining staff, demand for digital content, and wear and tear on the building were among the financial challenges cited by Chernik.

“The municipality is generous to make sure it is well-maintained. We use operating expenses to cover general maintenance and repairs,” she said. “But an aging building requires attention. This year we have requested $485,000 to replace the cooling tower and network switches, and costs have increased for both, and will exceed the amount requested. We have created our own building repairs fund for that.”

Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros said she was concerned about capital expenditures, asking if endowment money could be used to help fund them. Podolsky said capital improvements can’t be paid for with endowment money. “We’d love to sit down with you and go over our capital plan,” she said.

Councilman Leighton Newlin and Councilwoman Eve Niedergang singled out the library’s Community Engagement Coordinator Kim Dorman for special praise. “I personally feel we’re obligated to maintain the building and make it function,” said Niedergang, calling the library “a prime mover in the community.”

A public meeting on Tuesday, March 29 discussing the issue of cannabis retail in the community took place after press time. The Council’s next regular meeting is Monday, April 11 at 7 p.m. Visit princetonnj.gov for details.