By Anne Levin

Princeton’s sidewalks were the focus of two ordinances given public hearings at a meeting of Princeton Council Monday night, November 28. One ordinance extends outdoor dining for two more years, and the other amends the rules banning bicycles, roller skates, and skateboards from certain downtown sidewalks. Both were voted in unanimously.

Council also heard progress reports on the Princeton Business Partnership (PBP), an open house for the town’s Master Plan, and the Climate Action Plan that was adopted in 2019.

Before passing the outdoor dining ordinance, there was some discussion about whether some of the restaurants that began serving diners along sidewalks during the pandemic are encroaching too far into the public walkways. The ordinance requires “no less than five feet” of space for pedestrians to pass. Municipal attorney Trishka Cecil said that the five-foot measurement could be seen as a minimum, but additional space can be required. Mayor Mark Freda stressed that the rule needs to be enforced.

The ordinance related to bicycles, skateboards, and roller skates is an amendment to the current regulation, regarding exactly where the prohibition is to be. Staff is working on a future ordinance “to make sure we cover not only them [bikes, skateboards, roller skates] but any vehicle we might be able to imagine in the future,” said Land Use Engineer Jim Purcell. The amended ordinance also includes scooters, he said.

Councilwoman Eve Niedergang asked if these vehicles are allowed on sidewalks outside the downtown streets specified in the amended ordinance. “There is no prohibition against riding on sidewalks outside of this district,” Purcell said. Mayor Freda commented that there is a big difference between a bicycle and a motorized vehicle traveling up to 20 miles per hour along the sidewalk. “It’s not a good experience for a child or an elderly person to have one of those zip up on them,” he said. “Those are just accidents waiting to happen and we need to pay attention to this all over town.”

In his brief update on the PBP, Executive Director Isaac Kremer told Council that the group has been working on logo selection, and recently assisted with the opening of Hamilton Home, Small Business Saturday, and the installation of holiday decorations in town. Planters and plantings on Nassau Street and contemplation of a restaurant week for 2023 were also mentioned.

Sustainable Princeton Executive Director Christine Symington’s status update on the Climate Action Plan cited a dip in greenhouse gas emissions during the pandemic. But there has been “a slight uptick” since COVID-19 has eased, she said. Emissions come mostly from the heating and cooling of homes, schools, and commercial buildings, she said. Another portion comes from transportation; a “small sliver” is from solid waste and waste water treatment.

The plan contains more than 80 actions and stipulates that a progress report is given every three years. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas submissions 80 percent by the year 2050, with some interim goals. Solar installations have increased by 73 percent since 2019, “so that’s a bright spot,” Symington said.

Other positive actions include the town’s hiring of an open space manager, the preservation of the Lanwin tract, and the street tree inventory that is currently underway. Symington also praised the task force on food insecurity led by the Human Services department. “It gets food to where it needs to go rather than the landfill,” she said, adding that the recent approval of cart-based solid waste collection will also help.

Asked what can be done to reach the plan’s goals, Symington stressed that there needs to be a continuation of the focus on equity. “As we do all of the things we’ve laid out in the plan, we need to continue to do things in a way that makes the community better for everybody.”

She also mentioned the reworking of the town’s Master Plan. “I don’t think it can be overstated just how important the Master Plan is going to be in attaining our goals,” she said. “It’s going to determine how we build, where we build, and who is going to live in our community.”

An open house on the Master Plan is being held on November 30 from 4-7 p.m. Senior Planner Justin Lesko gave a brief update on preparations for the event at Princeton Public Library’s Community Room. Members of the public are encouraged to drop in anytime during those hours and provide comments. Lesko said he hopes the reworked plan will be ready for release by early summer.

The next meeting of Council is scheduled for Monday, December 19 at 7 p.m.