Princeton Planning Board Postpones Review Of Franklin Ave Study

PRINCETON, NJ – The planning board recently postponed discussion on a report recommending three properties on Franklin Avenue be designated as “area in need of redevelopment.” The discussion will now be held on October 7.

Last year the council adopted two ordinances, paving the way for creating 80 affordable housing units and 30 market-rate units at Franklin Terrace and Maple Terrace Developments.

The project was put in place after the Fair Share Housing Center had sued Princeton and other New Jersey towns for failing to provide their share of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households.

A study conducted by Heyer, Gruel & Associates included an in-depth analysis and concluded that the Lots identified as 2, 26, and 27 qualify as an "area in need of redevelopment."

The report said that Lot 27 is a “vacant and underutilized parking lot” that is characterized by excessive impervious coverage with no stormwater management infrastructure in place. The lot is owned by the municipality and is repurposed as a storage lot for municipal vehicles, a Farmers Market on Thursdays, and has some overflow from the high school, but it remains largely "unused and obsolete."

Buildings on Lots 26 and 2 were constructed in the 1930s and 1940s, and have outdated faulty arrangement and design, and present “an obsolete layout,” the report said.

The report found apartments on Lot 2, known as Maple Terrace, to be “obsolete” due to “faulty arrangement and design and antiquated layout.” The units are 489 square feet and consist of one or two bedrooms, a full bathroom, kitchen, living room, and linen closet with a rear door. The report said that little has changed about the units since construction.

Lot 2 is located at the corner of Franklin Avenue and Witherspoon Street and is within the R4A Residential Zone and the Affordable Housing Overlay-6 Zone.

"The existing configuration of the sites as developed with 10-unit single-story buildings does not provide the opportunity to address the 80 affordable units as required in the Municipality’s Court-approved Housing Element and Fair Share Plan. For these reasons and the analysis provided in the Study, there is substantial evidence to designate the Study Area as an area in need of redevelopment according to the statutory criteria found in Section 5 of the Local Redevelopment and Housing Law,” the report said.

You can read the full report here.

The Franklin Avenue Task Force was formed which completed their study and delivered their report and recommendations to Council at a special meeting on June 30.

Read More Here: Princeton Council Special Meeting Focus On Franklin Avenue Plan

At the time, many residents expressed concern over the recommended design plans for the project saying it would encroach into their privacy.