By Anne Levin

A work session on a proposed ordinance for outdoor dining dominated a meeting of Princeton Council Monday night, July 10.

While no action was taken on how to regulate the tables and chairs, pedestrian passageways, licensing, and other aspects of the practice, which became especially popular on Witherspoon Street during the pandemic, Mayor Mark Freda and Council members heard a report from Assistant Municipal Engineer Jim Purcell, and offered suggestions on how to proceed.

“We have a need in the business community to expand the dining footprint, increase foot traffic, and create a vibrant streetscape and lively sidewalkw  space,” Purcell said. “The challenges are that one size does not fit all. We have wide sidewalks and narrow sidewalks. Pedestrians, motorists, and the businesses themselves all have different needs.”

The town’s current ordinance is labeled “sidewalk cafО,” and requires that a pedestrian passageway be at least six feet wide, a measurement that all agreed is too narrow. The current ordinance provides for an annual license allowing restaurants to offer outdoor services from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., one row of tables and chairs no wider than six feet, commercial grade wood or metal furniture, litter control, and sidewalk washing “as required.”

“We’re proposing some changes to these,” said Purcell. “We have a mix of uses on the street that pedestrians can’t always find their way around.  We want to make it much more uniform and easy to handle.”

Councilman Leighton Newlin commented that when crafting the ordinance, staff should keep in mind that not all businesses in the downtown are related to food. Councilman David Cohen said the ordinance should be labeled “outdoor commerce” instead of “outdoor dining.”

The meeting also included a report by Purcell on repairs that are underway at the Spring Street Garage. The contractor is currently working on the upper level and will close 100 spaces at a time — 50 on the level where construction is taking place, and 50 on the level beneath it in case any concrete falls from the ceiling. Purcell added that at the end of this month, the current 60 minutes of free

parking at the garage will change to 30 minutes, as per the related ordinance.

Municipal Administrator Deanna Stockton told Council that violation notices are being distributed to residents who still have brush and leaves on the street, which is not allowed, per ordinance. Residents have five calendar days to remove the brush from the roadway, after which the Department of Public Works will collect it and issue invoices to the property owners for the disposal.

“We are already getting phone calls from residents,” she said. “Some people are trying to remove the materials, and we do appreciate that. It’s very important from a safety standpoint, as well as in dealing with stormwater and keeping sewers clear.”

Council passed ordinances establishing the property management policy for the Lanwin II property, which will preserve 153 acres of undeveloped land in Princeton, bordering Hopewell Township and Montgomery; and the leasing of 14 Clearview Avenue to the Housing Initiatives of Princeton Charitable Trust, for part of its transitional housing program.

A public hearing on the 2023-24 budget for the Princeton Special Improvement District was postponed until July 24, which is the date of the next Council meeting.