By Anne Levin

A redevelopment plan for the former Princeton Nurseries site that runs along Route 1, Ridge Road, and Mapleton Road is scheduled for a second reading at a meeting of South Brunswick Township Council on Wednesday, August 7 at 6 p.m. The ordinance will be considered as part of a work session.

The ordinance, which is for 119 Mapleton Road, 987-1001 Ridge Road, and 4405 Route 1, was unanimously approved by the Township Council on its first reading three weeks ago. It creates three separate districts, each with its own permitted use, on approximately 160 acres. The proposed development is bordered by Route 1 to the east, Ridge Road to the north, and the Mapleton Preserve to the west, as well as parcels owned by the Trustees of Princeton University and Plainsboro to the south. It is one of the biggest remaining undeveloped land parcels with frontage along Route 1.

If adopted, the plan will have a Gateway District, Flex/Light Industrial District, and Transitional/Office District. Permitted uses in the three districts include professional, executive, and corporate offices; medical offices; research laboratories; hotels; retail; indoor and outdoor recreational facilities; and more.

The development also calls for creation of a park that would be no less than 25,000 square feet. According to the plan, the area is currently vacant and lacking in significant improvements. A stream runs through the property, which has a variety of vegetation. The area is near commercial properties, hotels, and apartment complexes.

Established in Kingston in 1913 by William Flemer Sr., Princeton Nurseries was at one time the largest commercial nursery in the U.S. At its peak, it occupied over 1,000 acres and employed 300 workers, according to the New Jersey Historic Trust. Flemer chose Kingston as a location because of the quality of the soil and its proximity to Philadelphia and New York along the Delaware and Raritan Canal.

The business reduced its use of the property and relocated to Allentown in 1995.

In 1986, Princeton University purchased 448 acres from Princeton Nurseries; 191 of which were in Plainsboro and 297 in South Brunswick. Over time, 100 of those acres were donated by the University and permanently preserved. The remaining lands owned by the University were sold late last year.

The site was designated as a non-condemnation area in need of redevelopment by the South Brunswick Township Council last April.