To the Editor:

The large chimney at the back of the Valley Road School site has become a major roosting location for a large population of chimney swifts. Several thousand of the birds gather as a massive flock in the sky just before dusk in late August through to early October. They circle while calling vociferously for around half an hour and then slowly pour into the chimney where they spend the night. It is a remarkable sight, not least because chimney swift numbers are declining, and they are globally classified as near-threatened by IUCN.  Mercifully, they are fully protected in the U.S. by the Migratory Bird Act.  Legally this means that nothing can be done that might jeopardize their survival and persistence.  Any attempt to modify the structure of the chimney would legally be classified as jeopardy.

Each chimney swift eats many thousands of mosquitoes over the course of their summer visits to Princeton, as well as many insects that would otherwise become pests of crops throughout central New Jersey. Everyone who lives in Princeton and is concerned about West Nile virus, equine encephalitis, and other insect-borne diseases has a vested interest in protecting these swifts.  All of which suggests that modifying the old Valley Road School presents an interesting aesthetic and logistical challenge to Princeton’s many cutting-edge architects. 

Perhaps the town should organize a competition to restore Valley Road School as a “Green Business Center” for the increasingly vibrant environmentally focused entrepreneur and philanthropic community that live in and around Princeton. This could significantly raise Princeton’s profile as a state and national Leader in an area that is growing rapidly and is vitally needed locally, nationally, and globally. Although the swifts are only around for a couple of months, mainly people will derive great pleasure from watching them during early fall evenings and this will generate additional income for the excellent restaurants in his vicinity. Throughout the year, people working in the renovated building could easily cross the road and visit Mountain Lakes, which provides ecological delights on every day of the year.

Andy Dobson
Jefferson Road