Local Nonprofit Files Lawsuit Over Princeton Master Plan

PRINCETON, NJ – The Princeton Coalition for Responsible Development has filed a lawsuit against the Municipality over the new Master Plan.

The complaint, filed in the Mercer County Superior Court names the Municipality, the Planning Board, Mayor and Council in its suit.

The complaint challenges the Master Plan and the process used in developing the plan.

PCRD said the Master Plan fails to include all the components required under the Municipality Land Use Law (MLUL).

“Plaintiff challenges the Master Plan and Reexamination Report, prepared by Clarke Caton Hintz (“CCH”) and adopted by the Board on November 30, 2023 (the “2023 Master Plan and Reexamination Report”), as the assumptions and resulting principles and policies, having insufficient technical basis, fail to guide the use of lands in a manner which protects the public health and safety and promotes the general welfare, and fails to include all required components, contrary to the requirements of the MLUL,” the lawsuit says.

On Nov. 30, the Planning Board voted unanimously to adopt the Community Master Plan, despite reservations from some sections of the community.

The vote came after the Planning Board held two virtual public hearing session via zoom.

Filed on Jan. 16, the 32-page complaint also challenged the use of a Master Plan Steering Committee saying it “improperly usurped the authority of the Board and constitutes an illegal delegation of duty contrary to the requirements of the MLUL.”

The suit also noted that the Municipality did not provide the public with adequate notice before adoption of the Master Plan.

“Plaintiff also challenges the sufficiency of the notice provided to the public and the failure to prepare and publish minutes as to the MP Steering Committee meetings, the sufficiency of the notice of the public hearing on the adoption of the 2023 Master Plan and Reexamination Report, and the failure to adopt a memorializing resolution and publish the required notice of adoption of the 2023 Master Plan and Reexamination Report, all contrary to the requirements of the MLUL and the Open Public Meetings Act” the complaint says.

“Finally, the Plaintiff challenges the Board’s improper predetermination of a date certain to adopt the 2023 Master Plan and Reexamination Report without meaningful public input on the draft master plan documents as contrary to law and Princeton’s Board, Commission and Committee Members’ Handbook, revised January 2023 (the “BCC handbook”), which, amongst other guidelines, indicates that Board members should “remain open-minded, objective, and make no judgment until all of the available evidence pertaining to an issue has been submitted.”

The suit describes the PCRD as a “non-profit corporation with a registered address of 28 Hibben Road,” that promotes responsible land development and redevelopment in the Municipality of Princeton.

Its directors are comprised of residents of Princeton living near the historic Princeton Theological Seminary campus, which includes the former Tennent-Roberts campus and Whiteley Gym, each of which is located on Stockton Street, Edgehill Street, and/or Hibben Road, Princeton, which lands have been designated by Princeton as a non-condemnation area in need of redevelopment, the suit said.

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