By Anne Levin

Efforts to persuade NJ Transit to curtail its plan to temporarily disable the Dinky train service between Princeton and Princeton Junction were the main focus of Princeton Council’s October 8 meeting. But the governing body also introduced several ordinances and heard reports on the ongoing parking study, the Neighborhood Character Study, recycling, and other issues (NJ Transit has gone ahead with the plan; buses are replacing the trains until January).

Council voted to introduce two ordinances related to the site of the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad’s (PFARS) planned new headquarters at the corner of Terhune and Valley roads. One authorizes the conveyance of a conservation easement, while the other authorizes a stream corridor convenance easement for a stream to the west of the site.

An ordinance concerning loading zones, parking, and parking rates, amending the codes of the former Township and Borough, was introduced. A measure addressing re-parking, allowing people to return to the same block to park after leaving for a minimum of two hours, was discussed. Council President Jenny Crumiller suggested amending that portion of the ordinance, instead using an existing ordinance against meter-feeding that is rarely made enforced. But her suggestion was voted down. Council voted unanimously to amend the ordinance so that Martin Luther King Jr. Day is designated a meter holiday

Jim Constantine of LRK Inc., consultants on Princeton Theological Seminary’s proposal to redevelop portions of its campus, explained to Council why designating the area as a redevelopment zone was a good idea. Constantine gave a similar proposal last month to the town’s Planning Board, which voted to recommend the action to Council. The governing body voted in favor or introducing the ordinance. A public hearing on the plan is November 19.

Constantine also told Council about ongoing work on the Neighborhood Character Study, calling it a major step on the impacts of home developments in established neighborhoods. The study includes provisions being harmonized by the former Borough and Township, missing provisions, and new provisions, he said. Requirements related to how homes are oriented in access to and from a public street and how they connect to existing sidewalks are among the topics.

Also included in the study are facade articulation, how garages should face, limits on how many bays they can have and how wide they can be, driveway location and design, and some flexibility for smaller lots. The central issue under discussion was related to height of new housing. Council will revisit the study at its next meeting on October 22.