Public Comment Invited at Hearing on Community Master Plan Amendment

Dilshanie Perera

A public hearing on an amendment to the Princeton Community Master Plan will be held by the Regional Planning Board on Thursday, November 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Township Municipal Complex. Up for consideration is the plan’s Institutional and Educational Land Use Element.

The amendment addresses the future of development and growth in the Borough and Township as it relates to educational and non-profit institutions including Princeton University.

The full text of the amendment is available to the public at the offices of the Regional Planning Board, the Princeton Township Clerk, and the Princeton Borough Clerk between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

According to a recent Planning Board release, changes or additions suggested at the public hearing may be incorporated into the amendment under consideration for adoption.

The Planning Board’s Master Plan Subcommittee began work on the amendment two years ago when Princeton University submitted its 10-year Campus Plan for review.

General principals in the document serve to emphasize what should be considered when making planning decisions as they apply to educational and non-profit institutions. Diversity, balance, tax-exempt status, traffic, conditional use, community interaction, preservation, car alternatives, intersections, housing, the environment, storm water management, global warming, and openness of campus must all be weighed regarding land use, according to the amendment.

Also on the docket is a discussion of Princeton Township’s Shade Tree Ordinance, a recently introduced measure that would require more rigorous tree preservation and protection in areas slated for development. Greater authority would be granted to the Shade Tree Commission and Zoning Board to spur tree preservation, and site plans proposed by developers could be reviewed and assessed by the Environmental Commission and Traffic Safety Committee under the expanded ordinance.

The public hearing for the Township Shade Tree Ordinance will be on Monday, November 23 at 7 p.m. at Township Hall.

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