To the Editor:

Princeton is like the “mama bear” of towns. Not too big, not too small, just right. Downtown is also not too crowded, not too empty, just right.

It’s nice walking down Nassau Street, window shopping and people watching. Sometimes parking is a bit rough, but usually not bad. There has been a lot of debate about having cannabis dispensaries in town. I am not against legal weed. I am against changing Princeton into a crowded “destination” without a sense of community.

We already have several projects that will increase the population and/or visitors to Princeton: the new Graduate Hotel, revamping Witherspoon Street (making the town even more interesting and walkable), increased University enrollment, and possibly new apartments near the shopping center and elsewhere.

As for access to “regulated and safe weed,” we already have the Zen Leaf dispensary just minutes away on Route 1. We have a wonderful town, which is already at risk of getting too crowded. This would mean longer waits for coffee or ice cream, inability to get reservations for dinner, difficulty parking, increased traffic, and more.

Yes, we’d lose some taxes, but we’ll be getting more taxable business revenue from the expansions listed above.

Let’s not be greedy, let’s not be short sighted. Let’s stop dispensaries in town, and let’s keep Princeton the wonderful town it is.

Steve Resnick, M.D.
Fleming Way