Subdivision Developer and Residents Find Acceptable Plan for Nassau Homes

Matthew Hersh

A controversial plan to build four homes on 1.42 acres of land behind a property at 302 Nassau Street has been amended by the developer, Barsky Brothers Holdings Corp., after Barsky came to terms with nearby residents who had objected to the initial proposal.

The original application, which had been under consideration by the Princeton Regional Planning Board, had proposed the building of a subdivision behind an existing residence located directly across from Princeton Avenue in the Borough. The proposed development site abuts properties on Linden Lane and Queenston Place.

Some residents, who appeared before the planning board as a group called EEZW, worried that the ratio of house size to lot size was too large. Residents specifically objected to the size of the proposed four lots in the rear, which range from 8,794 square feet to 10,837 square feet. The homes themselves are all around 4,500 square feet, but tend to be significantly larger than the surrounding residences on Queenston and Linden.

At the initial planning board hearing on February 3, residents described the houses in the original development proposal as "boxy," and said that they suffered from "excessive density."

The hearing resumed last Thursday after being cut short from the late hour the previous week, but during the week between hearings residents and the Barskys arrived at a compromise.

The four new houses will be set back between 15 and 35 feet so to not impede on the adjacent property owners. Additionally, a detached garage of the existing home, which is currently a multi-apartment dwelling, will be shifted to save a poplar tree on the lot.

A proposed access drive, Barsky Court, that would be an extension of the current horseshoe driveway, will be 18 feet wide instead of the originally-proposed wider version. The Borough Historic Committee had requested that the road be reduced to 16 feet in width, but Borough Engineer Carl Peters and the Princeton Fire Department had recommended 18 feet for maintenance and access.

The Barskys have also agreed that the four proposed new homes will be single-family dwellings no more than two stories in height. The existing building that fronts the property will also be converted to a single-family home.

Planning board members suggested that Quarry Park, which lies directly behind the property, be made accessible from the proposed Barsky Court via a six-foot easement. Board member Gail Oilman also suggested that residents of the new development and surrounding properties adopt the park for maintenance, calling its current state "deplorable."

Issues of lighting in the development, which lies in the Jugtown Historic District, were also addressed. In the agreement, lights lining the court will be lit from dawn to dusk, but the Borough's Mr. Peters suggested that the lighting levels be adjusted to satisfy the neighbors.

One factor that will delay any immediate development is the level of lead contaminating the property. A carriage painting factory used to occupy the site in the 19th century, according to Planning Board Chairperson Wanda Gunning. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is examining the property.