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Unneeded Plaza Construction Fences Block Entrance to Spring Street Store

To the Editor:

For more than two years I have waited patiently for my store's entrance facing the Princeton Public Library to be reopened. That should have occurred months ago, when the Plaza became open to pedestrians. However, the developer, Nassau HKT, continues to block my store with unneeded construction fences. The Borough administrator and Council say it's HKT's responsibility and his excuse is liability; neither seems to have concerns of liability when it comes to exposing the public to an active construction site of a restaurant, apartments, and stores. The fences should be moved in front of those construction sites, not blocking my business because they have nowhere else to stow them. After repeated requests for assistance from the Borough administrator and Borough Council I just keep hearing them sympathize, but it's up to the developer. Both say they are committed to helping small businesses stay in Princeton but seem to have no clout with their developer.

If I were a corporate chain my customers would have had temporary access to the Plaza months ago. I am asking the Princeton community that I have been supportive of for the last 12 years to urge HKT to do the right thing and give Shop The World back its access before the summer is over. Be fair to Princeton's original fair trade store.

JILL CARPE
Shop The World
Spring Street

War Protester at Palmer Square Vigil Also Protests Treatment by Police

To the Editor:

On Wednesday evening, August 17, my wife and I took part in a vigil on Palmer Square to support Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, who is camping outside the Bush ranch in Texas demanding an audience with the President. The vigil began with people on both sides of Nassau Street holding candles in silent commemoration of all those who have lost their lives in the war; neither vehicular nor pedestrian traffic was blocked. Shortly after we arrived, we were told by police officers that we had to move to the Palmer Square side of the street, which we did, along with about 75 others. We sat down on a granite wall behind the kiosk facing the Square. The police officers then told us that we were only allowed in Palmer Square itself (standing room only), because that was what the demonstration permit sanctioned. We refused to leave, and explained that we were just sitting there, not blocking the walkway, and happened to be holding candles.

It appears that "free speech zones" have arrived in Princeton.

My family has had two members serve in Iraq. One sister's eldest son has just returned from Baghdad after being drafted out of the reserves; another sister's eldest daughter is stationed in Tikrit. I am furious with Princeton's complicity in the Bush Administration's policy of ignoring their sacrifice, pretending that we are not at war and that we must isolate those who question what this country is doing.

The next time I attend a vigil or demonstration in downtown Princeton I intend to stand on either side of Nassau Street.

ALFRED CAVALLO
Western Way

Responsible Zoning at Hospital Site Requires Minimizing Area's Density

To the Editor:

I recently attended the latest meeting of the Princeton Regional Planning Board Master Plan Subcommittee which is drafting an amendment to the Master Plan to address reuse of the Medical Center's Witherspoon Street campus. I commend the Board for providing an open and accessible forum for discussion, and appreciate the time and effort of all parties involved in the planning process.

Based on community input, the Board is formulating guidelines for important site parameters such as maximum total square footage of buildings, percentage of affordable housing and age-restricted units, and amount of open space. While maintaining a fair mix, I believe the overall density of the site should be kept to a minimum to the benefit of both sides of Witherspoon Street.

Potential developers will argue that higher density will mean more tax revenue. However, the draft amendment appropriately calls for "primarily residential uses." More housing means a heavier burden on our schools, and with high density the term "ratables chase" comes to mind.

The hospital, the eventual seller of the land, will argue that they have a right to maximize the value of their asset, and that the value will be diminished if we minimize the allowable density. I am not a planning expert, and I have no first-hand knowledge of pre-hospital planning debates, but I assume the community allowed high-density buildings to be built on that site, surrounded by neighborhoods with much lower density, precisely because they were associated with a hospital.

The draft Master Plan amendment states, "Currently, the Princeton Medical Center's Witherspoon Street campus is zoned HMC in the Borough and H-2 in the Township. These zones only permit medical uses and accessory uses associated with the hospital." Do you think such high-density zoning would have been tolerated by the community if the original concept was for high-rise apartment buildings? I don't. The hospital has no inherent right to guarantee potential buyers of that land that they can build residential units at the current density. That is determined by zoning, which is guided by planning, which can be influenced by you and me. Let's minimize the density of the hospital site.

DAVID HANDELMAN
Moore Street

Office Holders Are Asked to Respond To "Alarming" Tax Increase Projection

To the Editor:

Concerning the continuing tax increases in the Borough and Township addressed by a concerned property owner two weeks ago and published in Town Topics, I was really surprised not to see any responses to his letter from homeowners.

Now, Mr. Avinash Dixit has presented a rather alarming scenario on our projected tax increases (Town Topics, August 17), as he sees it as a University economist.

How do our elected officials respond to Mr. Dixit's projections? I hope they will let us hear from them with their realistic and honest answers.

PATRICIA D. TAPPAN
Linden Lane

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