By Donald Gilpin

In a “State of the Community” dialogue with Princeton business leaders at the Nassau Inn Tuesday morning, Mayor Liz Lempert, Municipal Engineer Deanna Stockton, and Police Chief Nick Sutter presented a positive picture of projects underway and challenges ahead for the community.

Though expressing concern about vacancies in office and retail space in town, Lempert pointed out a number of economic development projects already underway. “Many other communities are trying to invent what we have here naturally,” she said. She mentioned the high level of activity in Princeton, numerous public events, and placemaking projects including the farmers’ market, the Dohm Alley art exhibit, the parklet outside jaZams, the Arts Council’s pop-in spaces, and opportunities to enhance collaboration with Princeton University.

Lempert then pointed out some of the next steps in the works to make it easier to start and operate a business. She expressed optimism that “we are able to work together and set up a system that is going to work for everyone.”

Lempert added that she looks forward to her “Meet the Mayor” sessions once a month on Friday mornings from 8:30 to 10 a.m. in the Princeton Public Library, including this Friday, September 22.

Much of the agenda focused on transportation issues, and Stockton led off the discussion with the welcome news that the Route 206 Stony Brook Bridge reconstruction project is on schedule, with completion planned by November 3 and back-to-normal traffic flow on 206 anticipated after that.

Recommendations emerging from the town’s extensive parking study, according to Stockton, include increase in use of convenient meter technology, with acceptance of apps and credit cards to make payments; increase of parking supply with the possibility of more shared public-private parking; and updating permits.

Stockton noted that there are many interesting ideas still to be explored and that a public meeting will take place in October to discuss parking concerns. An experimental high-tech parking pilot program will be implemented in five different locations around town, with two parking spaces in each location, over the coming months.

Other transportation plans in the works, Stockton said, include the expansion of Zagster’s bike share to four additional locations on the north side of Nassau Street; a bike corral on Witherspoon Street and bike parking at the Spring Street Garage by next spring; as well as electric vehicle parking in the Spring Street Garage, and proposed improvements in the FreeB schedule and in the operation of loading zones on Palmer Square.

Also on Stockton’s lengthy agenda are a bus shelter, as part of the Nassau Streetscape program; an upgrade to Bank Street, with the hope of assistance from NJDOT; and a focus on Witherspoon Street concept planning, with public outreach and concepts in the coming year, then design and construction as budgets permit from 2019 to 2023.

Sutter alerted the gathering to a number of measures of concern to the Police Department and the community, including the requirement to register all alarms, in hopes of cutting back on false alarms (of which there were some 2,000 in Princeton in 2016); the increase in counterfeiting and other fraudulent activity; and the valuable increased use of video cameras — with registration recommended — in solving crimes.

Sutter reminded the gathering that the HiTOPS half marathon is coming up on Sunday, November 5.