Volume LXXV, Number 47
www.towntopics.com
“Alternative Facts” Cited in Response by Task Force To SensibleStreets.org
Sourland Region Gets 10,000 New Trees . . . 5 Town Needs More Crossing Guards . . . . 10 Solar Panels Provide Clean Energy Lesson . . . . . . 16 George Harrison 20 Years After: Going His Own Way . . . . . .22 NJSO Concert Explores “A Woman’s Voice” . . 23 Theatre Intime Presents Much Ado About Nothing . . . . 26 PU Football Beats Penn To Clinch Share of Ivy League Title . . . . . . . 32 PHS Girls’ Soccer Falls In OT to Wayne Valley in State Group 3 Final . . 37
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Part Two of Readers’ Choice Awards Results . . . . . . 14 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 30 Classified Ads . . . . . . 43 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Music Review . . . . . . . 23 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 31 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 41 Performing Arts . . . . . 27 Police Blotter . . . . . . . . 6 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 43 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Theater Review . . . . . . 26 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
With the cancellation of last Saturday’s community meeting on permit parking, a work session on the subject, originally scheduled for Princeton Council’s Tuesday, November 22 meeting, was removed from the agenda. Council President Leticia Fraga addressed the situation in remarks at the beginning of the meeting, citing “a campaign of misinformation” recently aired by the group SensibleStreets.org that challenges the goals of the Permit Parking Task Force, on which Fraga serves along with Councilmembers Michelle Pirone Lambros and David Cohen. The task force was “really blindsided” just before the community meeting,” she said. “We felt we truly could not go on until we were able to respond to what’s being put out there, that is truly a lot of misinformation.” Fraga said the task force is regrouping. “Expect to be hearing from us,” she said. “We have been, for almost three years, soliciting feedback and hearing from the community. Ultimately our goal has been to improve the quality of life for many of our residents whose parking needs are not being met. That’s our ultimate goal. It’s still our goal, and we will continue with those efforts. But we felt at first we needed to respond to basically the alternative facts that are being put out there, that are alarming many of our residents who will benefit from the proposed changes we are presenting to Council.” The cancellation of the work session made for an unusually short meeting, during which some routine business was conducted. Council introduced six ordinances, one of which had to do with affordable housing, and another with the affordable housing overlay that reduces off-street parking requirements for developments in different areas of the town. The governing body also introduced ordinances having to do with the sanitary sewer system and the sewer storm system, plus the vacating of an unused municipal sanitary sewer easement at 100 and 101 Thanet Road. Council also introduced ordinances related to a full-stop intersection at Witherspoon and Spring streets, part of the redesign project for Witherspoon Street; the authorization of historic signs as accessory uses; and the updating of left-hand turn prohibitions on Chambers Continued on Page 12
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Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Prospect Ave. Recommended as 21st Historic District The Princeton Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) at their November 15 meeting voted unanimously to recommend the creation of the Prospect Avenue Historic District as Princeton’s 21st historic district. The recommendation will go to the Princeton Planning Board and Princeton Council for approval in the coming months. The proposed district, which includes 17 current and former undergraduate eating clubs, two residences, a monumental wall and gateway, and an apartment building, would extend from Washington Road to Murray Place. It would not include the academic buildings on the corner of Washington Road. “The historic district designation would bring a very important level of protection to Prospect Avenue,” said Clifford Zink, a historic preservation consultant and author of The Princeton Eating Clubs. Properties included in a local historic district require review by the Princeton HPC for any alterations or additions visible from the street. “The value of this district designation is not to freeze Prospect Avenue at some particular period, but rather to appropriately manage changes in the future so that they respect the historic significance
of the street,” Zink added. “You want to manage the changes appropriately so that any changes respect history.” The HPC resolution recommending the Prospect Avenue Historic District emphasizes the “unique and characterdefining streetscape comprised of stately structures in residential appearance,” the embodiment of “many aspects of significant American and local history,” primarily involving “the eating clubs of Princeton University and the people who fostered,
belonged to, worked for, associated with and even opposed them over seventeen decades since the 1850s even to the present day.” The resolution continues to mention that “of particular note and local interest throughout this history is the significance of Princeton-area African American service staff members at all the eating clubs, who should be acknowledged as the backbone of the clubs’ success.” The resolution also emphasizes “the Continued on Page 8
New Preschool Opens as PPS, YMCA, Community Housing Work Together
Fifteen children, ages 3 and 4, are attending a new free preschool classroom this fall at Princeton Community Village. Princeton Family YMCA CEO Kate Bech commented on the partnership of Princeton Public Schools (PPS), Princeton Community Housing (PCH), and the YMCA that launched the preschool in September. “It was a classic example of ‘It takes a village,’” she said. “Princeton can be a bit siloed, but this is a great example of what happens when we’re all working together to come up with solutions that work.” She pointed out that 13 or 14 of the 15
preschool students are residents in affordable housing, from families with low income. “This program is essential to them, and it’s great to get them in this early, for their learning and for the long-term trajectory of their education.” PPS’ sixth free preschool class, the new Crimmins Learning Center classroom at Princeton Community Village is using the same space where the YMCA has operated the Princeton Young Achievers after-school program since 2011. The preschool runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the after-school program operates until 6 Continued on Page 13
BANNER DAY: Members of the Princeton University football team celebrate after they defeated Penn 34-14 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia last Saturday to clinch a share of the Ivy League title. The Tigers ended up 9-1 overall and 6-1 Ivy to tie Dartmouth (9-1 overall, 6-1 Ivy) for the crown. It marked the fourth Ivy title in the last eight seasons for the program. For more details on the game, see page 32. (Photo by Mitchell Shields, provided courtesy of Princeton’s Office of Athletic Communications)