To the Editor:

When I drive down Route 27 from Kingston, I arrive in a neighborhood of lovely and varied 19th and 18th century homes and commercial buildings and I know I have reached Princeton. Jugtown wasn’t always part of Princeton, though. In the 18th century it was its own place, also known as Queenston. Since the 1980s, Jugtown has been recognized locally, statewide, and nationally as an historic place. While change is inevitable, historic preservation ordinances were put in place to help manage change in historic neighborhoods such as Jugtown.

The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) has the opportunity and the mandate to exercise that judgement on April 15, when the HPC hears the application of RB Homes to build a four-story apartment building behind, attached to, and over the historic Hornor House at 344 Nassau Street, on the northeast corner of the Nassau and Harrison Street intersection.

Despite pleas from neighbors to the developer and town officials a year ago, the developer has come back with a building design that once again overwhelms the historic building. With tight setbacks from the street, the risk to children on the way to school, pedestrians, and cyclists is aggravated by this proposal. The 45-foot height of the building dwarfs the Hornor House’s 29 feet and clashes with the rest of the historic district as well.

Town Topics readers may have noticed the orange SaveJugtown.org signs that dot the streetscape. Join us in expressing your disapproval of the developer’s plan, and demand that the design comply with the historic preservation ordinance and meet standards for historic design. The HPC meets on April 15 at 4 p.m. at Town Hall. Follow us at SaveJugtown.org.

Don Denny
Nassau Street