Princeton Council Amends Hun Road Parking Ordinance, Delays Final Vote

PRINCETON, NJ — The Princeton Council amended a proposed ordinance restricting parking on Hun Road during a public hearing Monday, pushing back a final vote to accommodate a new round of public comment.

Ordinance 26-27 would prohibit parking on one side of Hun Road and amend Chapter 11 of the Township Code. As originally introduced, the ordinance would have banned parking on the odd-numbered side of the street. Council member Mia Sacks introduced an amendment to instead prohibit parking on the even-numbered side for the entire length of the road. The amendment also changed the ordinance's effective date to take effect upon final adoption and publication, rather than a specific date included in the original draft.

Council members debated whether the changes were substantive enough to require a new public hearing. Township Attorney Trishka Cecil advised the council that, given the level of public interest in which side of the street would be restricted, the amendment should be advertised and a new public hearing held at the council's next meeting, which would still meet statutory deadlines. The council agreed to hold the new hearing on Aug. 24.

Council members Brian McDonald and Leighton Newlin thanked residents for raising concerns that led to the amendment. "We listened and we heard, and we made the necessary adjustments to make life easier for everyone, including those of us here in the municipality," Newlin said.

During the public comment period, Hun Road resident Kevin Cunningham said he had not observed a parking problem on the street in more than 30 years living there, except at the points where Hun Road meets Russell Road near the Hun School. He said he opposed no-parking signs along the length of the road and questioned whether the restriction would be enforced, saying he has rarely seen police presence or tickets issued in the area.

Sacks said she had spoken with Cunningham directly but wasn't initially aware of the full rationale behind the ordinance until later. She said a number of residents, including those who spoke at the hearing, had reached out to the municipality asking for a solution, prompting code officials and staff to review the road.

"When code officials and other staff went out to the road, they realized that the entire road actually is so narrow that... the municipality legally can't leave that in place anymore," Sacks said, citing a photo in the agenda packet showing vehicles parked on both sides of Hun Road with a trash truck attempting to pass. "If someone needed to be transported to the hospital and vehicles couldn't get through, that would be some exposure to the municipality."

Municipal Engineer Jim Purcell said the restriction is fundamentally a safety issue tied to the roadway's width.

"It really is a safety issue because of the width of the roadway," Purcell said. "Given the so few vehicles that are parked there, except at the proximity to the school, it shouldn't be a burden. People can park on the opposite side of the street if they're visiting a friend." He noted the road is only 24 feet wide, and a parked vehicle narrows it to about 18 feet on what is meant to be a two-way road, restricting the ability of fire apparatus to pass. Purcell added that the change would bring Hun Road into conformance with nearby Russell Road, where parking is similarly restricted to one side.

The council will hold a new public hearing and vote on the amended ordinance at its Aug. 24 meeting.

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