Residents, Merchants Eye Possibilities Of an Ever-Changing Witherspoon

Matthew Hersh

With hopes of putting together a community vision for the future of the Witherspoon Street corridor, residents and merchants convened at the Princeton Public Library last Wednesday to talk about the possibilities offered by the so-called "spine" of Princeton.

"Whither Witherspoon?" was the question as Princeton Future, a community group organized to examine the effects of in-town development considered the potential findings of its Witherspoon Street Corridor Study (WSCS). The purpose of last week's meeting was to summarize the findings of the study, still underway.

Princeton Future held three consecutive Saturday morning brain-storming sessions last December for residents living on Witherspoon, but last week's meeting was geared to serve as a venue for merchants to voice their concerns on changes to the current hospital site; the changing commercial make-up of the section south of Wiggins Street and Paul Robeson Place; the impact development could have on the surrounding Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood and other adjacent neighborhoods; and the need for improved bus stops and lighting.

Unlike the recent WSCS meetings, which focused on neighborhood character preservation as well, this session drew resident and merchant response from two main subjects: the commercial future of Witherspoon and the future of the University Medical Center at Princeton site.

Marvin Reed, the chairman of the independent Princeton Health Care Task Force, whose role was to make various zoning and planning recommendations for the hospital site based on goals in the hospital's strategic plan, said there was no set schedule for any zoning applications for the site, and that there would probably be none until potential buyers of the site surface.

Those task force recommendations, ten in all, were released last week in a report that is available on both the Borough and Township municipal websites.

"The report is very clear. The property needs to be re-zoned," Mr. Reed said. "It would need to be re-zoned were the hospital to expand, it would need to be re-zoned if something takes the place of the hospital."

Although trustees of the hospital voted unanimously last month to pursue plans to relocate the hospital, there would need to be plans put into place, according to Mr. Reed, that would anticipate the hospital expanding on-site, should UMCP be unsuccessful in its relocation pursuit.

Mr. Reed also pointed out that the Princeton Community Master Plan would need to be amended before suitors for the hospital's 11.76 acres on Witherspoon could close in on deals.

Addressing rumors that Princeton University is interested in putting a graduate housing facility there, which, like all graduate dorms would pay full property tax, Mr. Reed said that "some kind of swap" would not be possible "unless the master plan changed and unless the zoning is amended."

The task force does not have the authority to re-zone sites or dictate the planning process; its recommendations are simply guidelines. Forthcoming applications for variances and future development will be heard in the public venues of the Borough and Township zoning boards, and the Princeton Regional Planning Board.

"Mall" Stores

The Witherspoon Street conversation quickly moved uphill toward the business district as some residents and merchants questioned the commercial make-up of the southern end of the corridor, toward Princeton University.

Nick Hilton, owner of Nick Hilton Studios, worried that out-of-town shoppers would have less reason to come to Princeton if the town is dominated by "national chain stores that are able to pay rent."

He worried that, with the addition of more national chains, the Central Business District (CBD) would lose character, suggesting that towns like Greenwich, Conn. are draws for shoppers because those towns have more "locally-owned, unique and unusual shops."

Anne Neumann of Alexander Street agreed, saying Princeton should "hold the line on Witherspoon Street when it comes to national stores" and suggested the possibility of setting zoning restrictions.

Pam Hersh, director of the Office of Community and State Affairs at Princeton University, said Princeton has "done remarkably well in supporting small businesses" and individually owned stores.

Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce President Kristin Appelget agreed. In a separate interview, she said new stores like Subway are, in fact, franchises and privately owned by members of the community. She added that what arrives downtown is ultimately market-driven and determined by the people who shop there.

She also refuted suggestions to change the zoning to maintain a particular commercial character in Princeton.

"To try and assume that there's an entity to tell us where to go is a little bit antithetical to the whole capitalist system. A store will not locate here if there isn't a ready market."

Adding that there is a "blend" of businesses in town, Ms. Appelget said that it was "unfair to target and single out entrepreneurs who start businesses through a chain."

She was quick to point out that the Gap had closed on Hulfish Street to make way for Zoe, a privately-owned shop that has expanded to 4,000 square feet from its original 580 square feet of space across the street from its new location over the course of nine years.

David Newton, vice president of Palmer Square Management emphasized the blend of locally- and nationally-owned stores, saying the split in Palmer Square is about half and half.

"We're not about a bunch of mall-type concepts," Mr. Newton said, citing Halo Pub, Mediterra, and the Bent Spoon. He also said that many of the chains in Palmer Square are small chains, with three or four locations.

Anita Fresolone, Director of Marketing for Palmer Square, added that national stores actually help to bring in locally-owned ones because of the foot traffic they draw.

"Independent retail is alive and well in this town," Mr. Newton said.