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Added Bus Stop Would Be Helpful At South End of Shopping Center

To the Editor:

Until I had my stroke, I never realized the hardships imposed on the elderly, disabled, and even mothers with young children simply going to the drug store or bank at the south end of Princeton Shopping Center. Buses 605 and 606 both enter Princeton Shopping Center at the south end and exit by McCaffrey's Supermarket at the north end. The distance from McCaffrey's to the south end of the Shopping Center is two tenths of a mile. But the only bus stop is in front of McCaffrey's. Especially for those with limited mobility, who need to get to Eckerd's Drugs, or the bank, or even the pizzeria, an additional stop on the south end would be greatly appreciated by all – young and old alike.

F.L. LOMBARDO
Nassau Street

Best Reuse of Vacated Hospital Sites? Variety of Recommendations Offered

To the Editor:

I recently retired as a trustee of the Princeton HealthCare System and I am vitally interested in the plan to relocate the hospital.

The HealthCare System has presented concepts for the reuse of the Witherspoon Street property that respond to many of the wishes of the community. They provide more than 250 residential units not only to seniors but also to the growing diverse population of Princeton; create almost an acre of new space; and substantially reduce the volume of automobile and truck traffic in the area.

The move of the hospital to a new location and its state-of-the-art modernization are critical to all of us who live in Princeton and its surrounding communities. The move will be expensive. Needless to say, the realization of an adequate return from the sale of the Witherspoon Street property is very important to the project.

I hope the Planning Board will approve the conceptual plan advanced by the HealthCare System.

CHARLES C. TOWNSEND JR.
Constitution Hill East

To the Editor:

Princeton beware! Hundreds of older residents, myself included, have been forced to leave your town, in search of appropriate housing. You now have probably the last and best opportunity to keep future seniors amongst you. Urge your government to mandate age-restricted housing on the Medical Center's Witherspoon site. Seniors pay taxes, do not drive much, support community organizations, contribute intellectually, and obviously do not add children to your school system.

ANN A. GIPS
Stonebridge at Montgomery
Skillman

To the Editor:

However the Planning Board feels about the future of the Medical Center, I am sure it does not want the decisions to be made by default. The hospital' s future will depend on several factors. It needs a certificate of need and concept approval from the state. Also required will be zoning changes by Princeton Borough and Princeton Township.

If the hospital gets state approval to move, we will have the ability to create something new and exciting in the heart of Princeton – a new focal point that will enhance our town and be of importance to its residents. Respectful of the concerns of neighbors, this is an opportunity for total community benefit. Hands will remain tied if the Planning Board does not request the zoning changes that will enable the Medical Center to work with prospective developers for the future of this key site.

It is vital that the possibilities for this property not be lost by default. This is an opportunity to address Princeton' s future creatively. The Regional Planning Board, which holds the key to this future, must act responsibly and promptly by asking the municipalities to address necessary zoning changes.

ROZ DENARD
Jefferson Road

The following letter was sent to the Regional Planning Board of Princeton, The Princeton Borough Council, and The Princeton Township Committee. It can be found in the form of an online petition at www.petitiononline.com/MedCntr.

To the Editor:

Princeton is well loved for its variety, authentic character, and history. Just about everybody feels that after the Medical Center leaves, its Merwick and Witherspoon properties should be blended into the existing texture of this town.

The overwhelming majority of Princeton' s properties, both residential and commercial, were developed as small individual parcels, controlled by single families and owners. The result is that each of them continually evolves. In contrast, a large property block under corporate ownership remains static, and its variety is superficial. Also, such a property is subject to the fortunes of that one developer. We believe that, to serve the best interests of the surrounding neighborhoods and to create the best future fabric of Princeton, the Medical Center properties should be subdivided and zoned to create new sections of town modeled directly on Princeton' s historical patterns of ownership.

To make this happen, we believe that these sites should not be sold to a single developer; instead, we appeal to the Planning Board to create the same kind of underlying structure of multiple ownership that we find in the rest of town. This way, the new buildings and streets on the Medical Center sites will have our town' s authentic variety. Also, they will be created with the involvement of a whole assortment of different people from our own area: builders, investors, architects, realtors, suppliers, lawyers, plumbers, electricians, and tradespeople.

Only individual properties, not corporate superblocks, participate in the life and evolution of a town like ours, where each property has its own special character, its own future history of ownership and change, and its own unique role to play as an individual member of a genuine community of buildings. This is our only chance to do it right.

RONALD BERLIN, A.I.A.
STEPHANIE MAGDZIAK
Jefferson Road

For information on how to submit Letters to the Editor, click here.