By Anne Levin

Monday, April 17 is the last day to submit comments about the municipality’s proposal to purchase three parcels of land along the Princeton Ridge, an “open space diversion” to compensate for the three-acre site on which the town mistakenly built Witherspoon Hall in 2002.

Municipal staff members held a meeting on April 3 to present their proposal and hear from the public. While some spoke in support, others questioned why the focus was on property at the far northern edge of Princeton instead of closer to town. The acreage, as proposed, would become part of Princeton’s “Emerald Necklace,” linking green spaces to one another.

According to the rules of the Green Acres program, Princeton must dedicate five acres of open space for each of the acres that were developed in error. The three acres on which the municipal complex sits were supposed to be for parks and recreation. The mistake was discovered while the town was completing its recent inventory of open space and parks.

Asked by Race Street resident Patrick DeAlmeida why that happened in the first place, Municipal Administrator Bernie Hvozdovic said he didn’t know. “No one sitting at this table was here, so I can’t answer how it happened,” he said. “It should not have happened, but it happened, so we find ourselves here.”

Two of the proposed parcels are off of Cherry Valley Road; another is off of Mt. Lucas Road. According to Princeton’s Open Space Manager Cindy Taylor, they include mature forests and have been designated as a medium-high priority in the New Jersey Conservation Blueprint. The Cherry Valley parcels are near 153 acres of land bought by the municipality in 2021. The Mt. Lucas parcel is part of a 90-acre site identified for conservation in the 2011 open space and recreation plan.

Speaking in favor of the plan, Ridgeview Road resident Christopher Barr, who leads the Ridgeview Conservancy, said preserving the parcels is important because of stormwater runoff mitigation, climate resistance, biodiversity,

and wildlife, among other factors, noting they are “important linkage properties.”

Sophie Glovier of The Watershed Institute called the idea “a far-sighted investment for the community,” with excellent wetlands. The Watershed Institute is among the organizations supporting the Emerald Necklace initiative.

Former Councilwoman Jo Butler, who lives on Hibben Road, asked why open space closer to the town was not under consideration. Specifically, she identified a 2.1-acre field at the corner of Hibben Road and Mercer Street. “I feel like I should have gone to my tennis drill tonight because I feel like the decisions have already been made and this is a bit of a waste of time,” she said. The area she described is part of the Princeton Theological Seminary properties that the town designated as an area in need of redevelopment (ANR) in 2018.

Since the Hibben property could be developed soon, that makes it “a more urgent opportunity” than the proposed acquisition of land along the Princeton Ridge, Butler said, adding that the Hibben site could be used for recreational purposes, possibly for a soccer field or for pick-up games for residents. Butler also mentioned property on Stockton Street that could be made part of Marquand Park.

DeAlmeida asked how much the town would have to pay for the proposed parcels. Hvozdovic said it would certainly be in the seven figures. “But we do end up with more property at the end of the day,” he said. “So we are buying open space. But yes, it’s going to cost more than it certainly would have 20 years ago.”

To comment on the proposals or add suggestions, send feedback to engineering@princetonnj.gov or write to Cindy Taylor, Open Space Manager, Municipality of Princeton, 400 Witherspoon Street, Princeton NJ 08540. Copies of written comments can also be sent to maude.snyder@dep.nj.gov. Any questions should be directed to Taylor at (609) 921-7077.