Good evening. >> Hello everybody. Come on in. Have a seat. We're going to start our meeting. This is a meeting of the mayor and the council of Princeton, New Jersey. It's March 9th, 2026. Thanks for joining us.
We'll start off with the uh meeting statement in a minute. Why is that? >> The notice of this meeting was provided in accordance with the requirements of the open public meetings act and state regulations governing public meetings,
including the time, date, and location of the meeting and clear and concise instructions to the public for accessing the meeting and making comments. In addition, the agenda and all related materials were posted electronically and made available to the public on
Princeton's meeting portal in advance of the meeting. >> Thank you. Brian's going to do the land acknowledgement tonight. >> We gathered today on the land of the Len Lape. As members of the Princeton community, we aspire to show appreciation, respect, and concern for
all peoples and our environment. We honor the Lape and other indigenous caretakers of these lands and waters. The elders who lived here before, the indigenous today, and the generations to come. >> Thank you. Can we have roll call, please?
>> Mr. McDonald >> here. >> Mr. Cohen >> here. >> Miss Peron Lamrose >> here. Miss Saxs >> here. >> Miss Frogga >> here. >> Mr. Nulan >> here. >> Mayor Freda >> here. Thank you. If you're able and like to stand and join us in the pledge of
allegiance. >> I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you
Michelle. Okay. Next up are announcements and reports. Uh council members with announcements or reports. Leticia. >> Yes. I'll start um by announcing uh this
is the third year of the citizens police academy. We actually had a reunion of all three classes earlier today. Uh it's a great opportunity for uh our residents to get to know uh some insights on how
our police department operates. It's an 8-week program on Thursday nights. Highly highly recommend it and encourage anyone who's interested to apply. Requirement must be Princeton resident
uh at least 21 years of age. Uh, I also want to announce on behalf of our human services department, they're working with Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman and the Mercer County Clerk's Office to host a passport clinic, which will take
place on March 26th at Monument Hall's uh, main meeting room. Uh the congresswoman's office is right now in the process of creating outreach material, but uh they're going to this will be a a convenient opportunity to
apply for a new passport uh or to renew expired passport and also apply for the passport card. Uh at this clinic, they're also going to uh it's going to be possible for individuals to take their passport photos. uh contact the human services department
for uh additional information including information on how to make reservations uh to make sure you get a spot. >> Thank you, David. Yeah, I just wanted to click quickly
mention that um and it's particularly appropriate tonight since we're um have a resolution for the Center for Modern Aging in Princeton's uh annual contract. Uh just wanted to let people know that they are holding their spring
fundraiser. It's a concert uh by a Billy Joel tribute band on April 19th. So, if you love Billy Joel or if you love CAP or both, check it out. >> Thank you. Other council announcements
are >> Sorry, Leighton. >> Thank you, Mayor. Yes, we'd like to announce that the Princeton Summer Youth Employment Program is back for 2026. SY is an 8-week employment program for
youth enrolled in a Princeton District middle or high school who are eligible to apply for working papers. Participants receive entry- levelvel work experience, job readiness training, and career development support, all designed to strengthen confidence,
responsibility, and long-term career pathways. The 2026 program dates are as follows. They run between June 29th to August 21st. Please visit the Human Services Department website for more information and eligibility
requirements. The application deadline is on Friday, April 24th, and interested students are encouraged to attend our interest meeting on March 26 from 5 to 7:00 p.m. at Monument Hall's multi-purpose room. And also want to
just remind people that the annual Arts Council of Princeton's PorchFest will be on Saturday, April 25th. Please come. Not alone. Tell somebody and bring somebody. Thank you. >> Thanks, Leon. Yeah.
>> First of all, I want to say thanks, David. But I'm I'm disappointed that they just have the Billy Joel tribute band and not Bad Bunny. Um, okay. So, um, this is on behalf of
Sustainable Princeton. They are hosting the Sustainable Home Expo this Saturday, March 14th, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Princeton Middle School. The Sustainable Home Expo
is a one-stop shop for residents to meet vetted home improvement professionals, landscapers, HVAC professionals, solar installers, and more to help us meet our sustainability goals at home. It's free and open to the public.
and Councilman David Cohen will be speaking at a breakout session about building sustainable ADUs at 11:15 a.m. >> Any other announcements or comments up here? No. U Deanna,
>> thank you, Mayor. Um, adding to Mia and Leighton, the uh, Shade Tree Commission will be hosting a table at the Sustainable Home Expo. So, if you are interested in learning more about our tree canopy and the right tree
for the right place, uh, stop by their table. If you missed the opportunity to see them at um the Sustainable Home Expo, they also will be um tableabling at PorchFest on Hines Plaza giving away
saplings. Um and then also one last update on April 18th is our spring shred fest at Westminster Choir College off of Franklin Avenue and that runs from 10 to
2. So you can bring your landfill items, your recycling items. Sustainable Princeton will also be there. Um, and they have on their website and list of the items that they collect as well. So join us there.
>> Thank you. Any other staff announcements? Okay. Uh, we do have on the agenda a report from Experience Princeton, but Robin's running a little late, so we'll come back to that when she gets here. uh presentations, the first presentations
on the kiosk competition. So >> Josh, I'll get you started and then uh pass it over to you if that's okay. >> Sure. I can start talking before the slides go up, so it's all good. Um hello, I'm Joshua Zinder, a local architect. I was AIA New Jersey 2021
president and I've been the co-chair of the AIA New Jersey design awards for the last 12 years. I also serve on the AIA National Small Firm Exchange. AIA New Jersey is celebrating 125 years this year and AIA New Jersey 2026 President
Jessica O'Donnell joins us here this evening for these awards. Last year, March 24th's council meeting, the Nassau streetscape work was presented and along with it the potential for the elimination of the kiosks. Afterward, afterwards, I
contacted municipal engineer Diana Stockton and Councilman David Cohen to suggest a partnership with AI New Jersey to create a competition for the redesign of the kiosk. A competition is a great tool to let the town learn how this
loved piece of architecture can transform in the future. Princeton has had history of collaboration with AIA New Jersey. The battlefield monument was the culmination of such a collaboration. The Princeton kiosks are simple
architectural follys which support the ability to post notices, flyers, and convey public information and are considered by many in the community as an illustration of democratic expression and civic engagement. This competition was intended to be an
ideas competition only and there is no obligation to proceed with any of the designs. The town may do nothing, pursue one of these designs, or do something else completely different. The competition was established to present ideas to our community. The competition
booklet was completed, and the competition was open May 30th and the submissions were received July 18th. This was followed by a period of time when the top six entries were displayed to the public at the Princeton Library
to select a people's choice award. For those of you who are interested in seeing all of the entries, they will be on display at the Arts Council March 24th, 25th, and 26th in the theater space. This competition is a great precedent for other communities to
collaborate with AI New Jersey and develop competitions to support the visionary goals of municipalities. We would like to thank the sponsors, the Bank of Princeton and Round View Capital, without whose support the competition and awards would not be
possible. And special thanks to Steve Sheay who who helped make the sponsorship happen. He regretfully cannot be with us tonight. Now to the awards. Uh so for those of you who are here from the different
firms when we call you up please come up for a photograph and we'll present the uh the check. So uh for we're getting some feedback here. There you go. First place uh is the
walkthrough designed by Studio Hillier. I will note as they take their photo, it was a blind competition. The uh steering committee who uh voted to select the winners had no idea who the designers
were. It was all um rank it the each entry had a number assigned to it and that was how it was done. >> Thank you. >> In uh so there was a tie for second place. So in no particular order uh the
vestage designed by HDR architecture. Also in second place, Princeton Kiosk 25 designed by SG SPG Architects. and the people's choice award. So, this was the culmination of those six entries
that were put out in the library. And the people's choice award goes to the pivot point designed by corporate design of America. So, as part of the competition, we also had a student category um trying to cast the widest net. So, in first place is
Revolve, designed by Jonathan Choy and Jonathan Fenton from the Robert and Barbara Hillier College of Architecture at New Jersey Institute of Technology. In second place, uh, Beacon Chaos. Mosque designed by Sophia Colola, Ashaya
Aad, Mahome Azim from Robert and Barbara Hillier College of Architecture at New Jersey Institute of Technology. In third place, Waypoint designed by Gregory Dustfano from Kain University,
Michael Graves College of Architecture. I think it's interesting to note that two of the schools, architecture schools in New Jersey are actually named after prominent Princeton architects and the third architecture school in New Jersey is Princeton University. So that's just
a interesting side note. Um, >> thank you for your time tonight. Um, I hope you will visit the visit the display later in the month on the 24th, 25th, and 26th at the Arts Council. Thanks. Be well. Yeah, thank you to everybody for being
here tonight so we could go over this and hand out the awards. It's pretty amazing seeing all the all the different designs and all the uh thoughtfulness and creativity that went into them. So, we appreciate all the help with that. I don't know if anybody else wanted to comment on these. >> No, I just thank you Josh for stepping
up to this uh challenge that Deanna threw out there about a year ago. um and really appreciate all the work that you did in AIA as well. So, thank you and and wonderful job especially the students that uh it was really inspirational uh ideas that you had. Um
so, thank you all for all your cooperation and uh participation. Thanks. >> Okay, good. I'm late. Yeah, I I just want to thank David for the suggestion, you Josh for getting busy doing this art and community
building event. And just to the general public and people here seated, how good is it when you have something you're trying to do as a municipality or as a local government, you're trying to solve a problem or you're trying to fix something and
rather than go outside, not only do you stay inside, but you involve people, you engage people. You get them to think about what they like, what they don't like, and then you come up with corporate designs. You come up with
architectural designs from worldclass architectures. You come up with designs from students from worldclass schools. I just want to thank the council uh Josh David and everyone that's involved in this because this is the way this is a
great example of how you think out the box, outside of the box, and how you build community. So, thank you everyone who had a part in this. You did a real good job. >> Good. Thank you. All right. So, we're going to move to the next item. So, anyone that was here
only for the kiosk, this is the good time to slide out so you don't get stuck here for the rest of the meeting. Thank you again. Thank you all. >> Okay, next up we're going to jump back in the Experience Princeton uh report. Robin's here, the executive director of
Experience Princeton. have to bring that way down. Can you hear me? Okay. >> Good evening. Yes. >> Okay. Closer. How's that? >> That's good. >> Perfect. All right. I am Robin Leitis,
the executive director of Experience Princeton. This is my first report and I'm really thrilled to be here. Um, it's been a extremely busy week celebrating our restaurants. We learned a lot in
this process. I learned a lot in this process. We have 115 restaurants that are um extremely diverse. We have 66 restaurants in our very walkable main
street and the rest of them um lay outside of the walkable they're still walkable but um the loop the hop on hop off loop will also help us get traffic to these restaurants. So it's it's
really a high quality um blessing to have 115 restaurants. It definitely requires the right kind of marketing and I think restaurant week was great but it certainly um in order
to keep 115 restaurants in business we have to do a lot of work and I think that means making things as businessfriendly for them as possible so that they can be competitive with each other because it it's a lot. Um, it also
means that we are a restaurant destination like no other. I don't think there are very many many other places in New Jersey that have that kind of restaurant diversity and density. And the only statistic I have for you
tonight is that our views went up 1,600% from when we started um working with a new social media consultant, Asia James, who was amazing. And this year, instead of having a party for the restaurants to
kick off the event, we had a party for some influencers and we took them all out for dinner and let them do what they do best, which is make things sound authentic and exciting and um from the
each each one is was had their own perspective. It was really sub absolutely fantastic. So, I have some materials for you. Um coming up in the next two weeks we have two major studies and opportunities for everyone to
participate. So this week we have brand urban coming. They've been doing a leasing study and they will be giving us placemaking advice from the lens of leasing because if you don't have if you
have too many vacancies, you don't have as great a place and as great as an opportunity. So, they're coming to be here and to talk to our property owners and I think we'll have great results. Next week, we have Main Street America
coming. We are a main street with Main Street America. Uh that's a phenomenal opportunity. So they're giving us a free transformational strategy uh study and they come in person from
the national office and the New Jersey office. So I know we're having a bunch of meetings scheduled with municipality. We have meetings scheduled with students, residents, business owners, property owners, and anyone else who
would like to talk to them. And we have a survey. I know that people feel a little over surveyed possibly, but it's a short one. It's actually pretty exciting. So, I'm going to pose that and hope you'll help us get respondents.
Um, that's really it. Do you have any questions for me or >> it's Brian? >> Yes, it's not uh you may not have the answer. Um it is really great to know that there are that many restaurants in town and in many states it's much easier
to get uh a liquor license or beer and wine license. And in New Jersey, it's extremely difficult. Uh, Governor Murphy said that he would take on this challenge uh to sort of uh uh liberalize some of the prohibition era rules. And
I'm just curious whether there's any hope of this happening. >> Uh, I believe there's hope. I believe that Downtown New Jersey is an amazing organization. I know Michelle's sitting on their board and they have the uh
opportunity to really lobby where it's helpful. Um so I think that there's hope. Uh I've worked in towns in New Jersey where we did some creative things around open container um which allowed adults to enjoy adult
beverages on um in a in a circumscribed area uh with other entertainment. And really when we did it, it was much more about cultural events where you could also have a grown-up drink if you were a
grown-up and not really about drinking. And uh it worked really well. So I would encourage you to consider some workarounds like open container. And I I also think it comes down to um
being clever with zoning. um and maximizing your opportunities for breweries, wineries. Wineries have now won the opportunity to sell single b single glasses of wine, which makes
having parking a license with a chocolate shop or a different kind of business a better opportunity than having to sell a whole bottle of wine. >> Thank you, Michelle. We have a really long uh agenda.
Otherwise, you really wouldn't want to get me started about liquor licenses. Um, so I just want to say thank you, Robin. I know it's been a challenge. You got restaurant week off the ground in a very short period of time, and I know what challenge that is. So, thank you.
And I just wanted to see if you wanted to mention the business community. will be meeting with uh the police chief uh and also our h health and human services uh department uh and Jeff Broer, our deputy administrator. And that's April
1st. Thanks for the prompt. Yes, it's April 1st. We're having a meeting uh to talk about all of the issues that come up in the spring and the summer for our businesses. Um, and that's at the
community room at the library at 8 am. All are welcome. Um, also we're celebrating Women's History Month. This month we have 122 businesses that are owned by women or managed by women at a
very high level. And we're going to have a walkound event on uh March 30th where you can come and walk. you'll we'll we will have a list. It'll be in the paper and we want people to go in and tell the
women who work hard uh to run businesses here and have historically for for a very long time how what a great job they're doing and how important they are to us. Thank you. >> Thank you, Leon.
>> Yeah, Robin, thank you for your presentation. Again, want to welcome you. Uh, we had the opportunity to do that at the arts council. But I want to not not to be a Debbie Downer, but I I do want to ask you a question and and ask you to put a pin in something.
You just mentioned the dauntingness of 115 restaurants. And I think my question and maybe my thought is could that represent a double-edged sword for Princeton? You know, we we we have 115
restaurants. that does not leave a lot of room for much else in town in our central business district. So my challenge to you and what I'd like for you to put a pin in is and I'm it's not all on you. Part of it's on us, part of it's on commercial developers, but we
need a better retail mix in Princeton. We need more price points in Princeton because if if if you're not coming here to eat, you got to spend a million dollars to get a piece of clothing. Well, no, there's a couple stores where you don't have to spend that much money. But my point is we need a better retail
mix both in uh products and in people. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> PIN accepted and uh we'll be we'll be back to talk about that very soon. Thank you. >> Thank you. Any other Okay.
All right. Next up, Palmer Square. Last time I was here, I didn't need these glasses. Good evening, everyone. My name is Elizabeth Egan. Um, and I am representing Palmer Square Marketing today uh to discuss our plans um and our events that we've got um proposing uh
for 2026. Um, and I just wanted to say that I so appreciate uh the opportunity to run through our events with you all and just appreciate your partnership through everything. Um, and you know, bringing our community together is what really everything is all about.
Um, so first up, we've got our strolling bunny that will be every Saturday and Sunday um leading up to Easter. Uh, the Palmer's Grow Bunny will be hopping around on the green inside shops. definitely hit up Lint Chocolate, Thomas Suites, um um and just kind of provide a
little photo opportunity for families that are walking into town. Next up, a town favorite. Uh we have Princeton Porchfest with our uh friends from the Arts Council. Um and this year, uh last year we were a part of the event with a
big afterparty on the green. Um this year with some sk scheduling conflicts, we were not able to do that. Um, but we are going to still have a porch on the green from 12:00 to 4. Um, so we're really excited about that to support our local artists in the community and be a part of such a wonderful event. We will
continue with our story time on the green that's Saturdays um in May. And it's just a halfhour event for and uh you know to to pull in our our families and our um our local community with our local legend uh Jeff Trainer. He is wonderful. He will sing songs and read
stories. Uh, but we are looking for, if you have any recommendations, we are looking for guest readers. Um, and we're also going to add a little bit of a 250th element. Um, and talk about, you know, some stories of the past and things that, you know, can get our children set up um to to learn more about our history, especially in
Princeton. Uh, we are also going to continue with our Square After Sunset event. This was a new event um last year that we really wanted to highlight not only some stores being open later and and create an ambiance around the square, but also to
promote the local arts um in the area. And so we'll be working with the arts council on that as well to to showcase that and showcase their classes that they have as well. Uh back again, we've got our summer music series. This is every Saturday in June, July, and August. And uh that's
just a two-hour event on the green with eclectic local artists that um just kind of promote and and um activate the atmosphere um on a weekend when people are around getting lunch um and bringing their families into town. Uh the Jazam's
block party, they're actually celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, which is really, really, really exciting. One of our um community staples uh in the area. And unfortunately they were not able to celebrate their 25th anniversary in 2020 because of course um co and so this year
they're back and better than ever and really excited to um you know have a big day to kick this off and there'll be carnival games on the green children's music um and just an overall really exciting time to celebrate um such a special special business in our
community. We will continue our movie nights on the green where we bring out our 26 foot outdoor movie screen. Um, and we're going to kick that off in June this year just ahead of July 4th. Um, and we'll be showing National Treasure and kind of
creating a little bit of a um, American barbecue around that. Uh, so that's going to be a really exciting event. Um, it'll also be on July 17th and August 14th. Um, we will continue with our dueling pianos. That's Thursdays in August. um and kind of create a little interactive
event. Um but that's just a fun fun event for really the local community to come out, you know, bring a picnic to the green, grab a pizza at Teresa's and support our local businesses um and just gather for a little sing along together. And that will be um Thursdays in August
from 6:00 to 8:00. Then our sidewalk sale uh promoting our our businesses um and really we'll have music on the green as well. And that will also be in conjunction with um a spirit of 76 barbecue that the that the Nassau in
will be hosting. Um that's really just showing support uh for the historical society of Princeton and their history of taverns exhibit um that will be happening in Dome Alley. Um so we're kind of just kind of pushing that whole weekend um for really exciting things going on um in town.
Then we'll get to our fall series which is the same as the summer music series just uh seasonal. Um but that'll be Saturdays and um in September and October 1 to 3 p.m. in a different mix of musicians. Then uh we will have festival cultural
Latino with me Lindo and the Princeton Public Library as well as Princeton University sponsoring the event. Uh this event has taken off extremely um extremely well. Uh it is split between us and Hines Plaza. Um, so we will host
uh beautiful flamco and different artistry on the green and Hines Plaza is more of a a market center. Uh, but this is a really really wonderful community event that just celebrates uh Hispanic Heritage Month and something that we look forward to to to hosting every
year. Um, we also have Triumphs October Fest on Saturday, October 17th. We got with their team and figured out that this would be the best deed for that. um that was a really wonderful event last year and so we're going to continue to um assist in hosting that with them.
Spirits on the Square is Fridays in October um again a little similar to the square after sunset event but just keeping the town activated having a little bit of music um on those later nights. And then our fall fest is back
this year. Um we really had a wonderful time with the community last year in our fall fest. Uh, and so we're looking for different artists this year. So if anyone has a great jam band or a great community band, please email us at eventventspalmersquare.com
um and we'll take a look and and see what we can do with you guys. Um, and then of course we've got the hometown Halloween parade happening. We are waiting on um the date with the arts council, but that is a wonderful event where the Princeton um band marching band comes by um and we have so many
families that come through in costume and we just parade on down to the YMCA. Then of course our staple signature event is the annual tree lighting that will be Friday um November 27th, Black Friday. And that's just our holiday kickoff that is just a wonderful
community event um with musical performances and ice carvings and of course an appearance by the big man himself. Uh we've got strolling entertainment and Santa. That's when our carolers come out um and just serenade the streets with their ac cappella
and that's every Saturday and Sunday um after the kickoff leading up to um to Christmas time. Then another staple signature event that we've got is the annual Manura lighting which I know many of you have attended. Um and it's just a wonderful ceremonious event that we
partner with uh the Jewish Center of Princeton. Um and will continue this year. We've also got holiday jam and toy drive with Princeton University. Um and that's usually the first or second week in December and that showcases the the clubs that they have at the university
um the ac capella groups um that they have there and and showcase their their performances. We've also got the historically hilarious holiday trolley tour of Princeton where we partner with Mimi and the Princeton Tour Company and that's always just a wonderful event. Um we're
looking to see if we want to do that. Usually it's one weekend, the Saturday and Sunday. um we might spread spread that out this year. Um but that's really wonderful event that brings people near and far um to tour Princeton and really get a history of of what we're all about. And then we've got the Christmas Eve sing along as well. Um that's also a
staple event where the Christmas Eve brass band leads us in a sing along. Um and just a very wonderful community event. Um but that's all we've got going on um in Palmer this year. Um and we're so excited, you know, to bring these events to us and and really share in the
community love. So thanks Thank you. Very, very impressive list. And I just want to remind everybody up here that this isn't just anformational session. This is where we would actually look at these and decide if we're going to uh approve all of them. So, let let
me jump in on this one. For the vast majority of things, personally, no big deal. I think we had talked about trying to figure out if there was a way to split the uh the request for all these to happen at two different times during the
year. So more of like a spring summer and then another one that might be the fall. So, specifically in my mind in following up on conversations that we had months ago with uh leadership at Palmer Square Management, I'd be wondering about the summer music
series which is shown June June through September and also on the the section of fall events and for the fall events, not so much for the the one-time events, but for the regular reoccurring ones.
So, I'm I'm wondering, let me start with the summer music series. Is there a way for us and for you to uh reasonably manage saying, "Hey, we're going to ask for June and July and then we're going to come back and ask for August and
September." How does that how does that impact you guys? >> Um well, we do we do um we do really book them in this chunk, right? So, um, we've always had the the
June, July, August Saturday music just flowing. At one point it used to be May through October. Um, but we've cut back recently. Um, but we are booking the July, June, July, and through August at this time. Um,
>> okay. And then what about the fall event section? Can we hold off on on that till late later in the year? the fall music series >> or all of them. >> Yeah, I think that would be it. Yeah, the fall music series. Thank you.
>> I think we can get we can get back to you on that. >> Okay, those are the questions. >> We do book everything at one time, but >> yeah, I'm sorry. Hand up. >> Uh I'm just going to Liz, this is great. I mean, every year it just gets better and better, and I really uh appreciate
it. I'm not sure uh you know if we want to postpone um saying we're approving one piece of this but you're suggesting the fall music series Mark which part are you suggesting exactly? >> Yeah we had well
>> because I I know I I mean I know I used to do events and it's March it's it's hard to postpone things. Yeah, we we we had very detailed discussions with Palmer Square management about doing it differently this year and that was one of the things we specifically said was
not asking for the entire year at one point in time. And the whole thought there was that if there are other requests for the green that we are pretty much locking out the use of the green for the entire season if you want to call it that which
would be spring, summer and fall. Uh so the thought was if we did not do everything at once then others would have opportunities to stage an event possibly. >> Yeah. No, I understand. Okay. But which part are we saying that they'll come
back for? Just so it's clear. >> The fall music series, >> which is Saturday for sure. >> Okay. >> And then I would suggest that we split the summer music series in half. I personally I think it's late to do
anything with summer >> but I think fall I mean we could do that like festival the festivals the triumph October Fest the spirits the spirit that's you know are you saying right >> I mean I think October Fest and the festival you have to lock in
>> well there's yeah I mean there's four one-off events the Latino festival the triumph event the fall fest the Halloween parade obviously yeah >> those are one time so I wouldn't suggest that we don't approve approve those and I and I same for the holiday events. I wouldn't suggest that we don't approve those. But I think again the discussions
we had with Farmer Square was about not and I'm trying to say this with with all due respect because I think what you guys do on Palmer Square is absolutely tremendous and it draws a lot of people into town but >> we don't want this the green which is
our property mostly although partly theirs >> monopolized by one entity throughout the entire season that some group might like to try to use it >> and I I will just say that it is for two hours at a time on Saturdays. Um not meaning that anybody can go around those
those times. We are flexible um and we do have a process as you know we bring things to you as well to um approve um yeah and so if this um had been brought to me that I would have presented this in a in a >> different way.
>> Yeah. Yeah. >> I'm sorry. >> Sorry. uh just having help with planning events. I know there's a lot of lead time needed. Months. >> Sure. >> Approximately how many months
>> would you say? >> Oh, um our our and I'm not in the day-to-day anymore, but our um wonderful marketing events manager has been booking bands um since January, since December, just for the year. >> Yeah. So understanding that but also
understanding that we want to be able to have an opportunity for others who want to have events that can be accommodated. >> Sure. >> So are there dates that can be just basically set aside to to uh make it
possible for anyone else who wants to have events to uh to be able to accommodate. >> I think that's something we can discuss. I'm sorry, Dave. >> Yeah, I just wanted to comment on the
same thing. I think that the goal of leaving a few open dates is a good one, but I also think we should think about a mechanism for filling in those dates if nobody comes forward because you don't want to have a dead day um for no
reason, right? we so I I don't know what the answer is but I hope that we can work out some system whereby the dates can be left open until a certain drop deadad date and then could be filled in
and maybe there are um you know performers who would be able to you know be responsive on a shorter notice to fill in those dates if necessary. That's the thought.
>> Yeah. I'm sorry, Lane. >> Yeah, I'm going to weigh in on the equity piece as you probably knew I would, but let's be real. First, let me say thank you for everything that Palmer Square does cuz you run rough shot over Palmer Square. You make sure we have
people there. You do a great job with that and we really appreciate that. Just like we appreciate Hines Plaza. >> Yes. That being said, you got the best dates throughout the year on Saturdays and Sundays, and that's a good thing, too. Not for this year because you've
already planned it out. And I wouldn't interfere with your plans for this year. But for next year, we need to sit down and decide who gets what and split up some of these really good and hot dates because we have the arts council. We have other not forprofits like
Sustainable Princeton that might want to use that space on two hours on a Saturday on August or September. So yeah, next year we got to talk about this. But I I would I would not interfere with them this year because they've done
their homework and I think that might be uh problematic for them if we did that this year, especially if you have already planned this out. But again, for next year, equitable treatment is really
important because the square belongs to the residents of Princeton. >> Any other comments? >> No. So, so the part that you were suggesting, Mark, to carve out would have just been the fall music series at this point.
>> Yeah. I'm willing to back off on the summer series because I I mean, I do appreciate the fact that you have to book bands so far. Yeah. ahead of time and I think just the fact that we're having a discussion and it'll be covered by some members of the press. I mean I think people will hear that there's
going to be a little more flexibility in using the green going forward and that's part of the objective here. So yeah, I mean if we want to approve everything that's here except for the fall music series and then you know we could talk a little bit more to Palmer Square management and just make sure that
you're back in time so that you could book whatever you need to book for that. So, so my Okay. But my question is, Liz, have you have you booked the Foam Music series to? Yes. Yes. So, >> yeah.
>> Okay. Well, again, all I got to say, and again, I appreciate everything that happens on the square is that we were really clear that we wanted this handled differently this year. So
personally I don't I I don't feel we should just approve this entire thing as is it. There was ample discussion ahead of time about not doing this the same as it was done in previous years. >> But again it's up to the the body. So I mean majority rules. So I mean whatever
either way we could follow Leightton's suggestion and just hopefully handle it differently next year. whichever. >> I mean, the other part of it too is that it's March, so I don't know if there's big events that are really uh you know,
looking for the fall. We probably would have heard about it and there are Sundays available. You have all the Sundays in the fall pretty much open except >> Yes. >> the O except festival >> Yeah, >> that's correct. So I mean my inclination
is to go with what Leightton is suggesting and we do this going forward kind of parsing it out next year. So maybe six months in advance you know just kind of maybe you know half come half the year like the end of this year come for
the beginning of next year we'll work out a schedule we can work it out you know offline but let's work a schedule out. Um, that would be my suggestion. I would go with what Leighton is saying because I do think that there's some flexibility here um for the fall because
I know there may be some things coming up, but big stuff you probably would have heard about it already. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> All right. Any other comments? If not, somebody could make a motion. >> What am I doing? make a motion to move forward.
>> Well, I thought Yeah, I thought you raised your hand for that, but if not, I could >> whether or not to approve this or make any change. >> No, I'm fine. >> Yeah. >> Sorry, that's a motion. >> Or who's making a motion? >> You want to make the motion? >> Yes, I'll make the motion to move forward if it does.
>> Okay. All right. Leighton makes the motion to move forward with approving those. Michelle seconds them. Any other questions or comments? >> All in favor say I. I. I. >> I. >> Thank you, Elizabeth. >> Thank you. Okay, next up, Princeton Triathlon. >> Oh, come on. That's it. He's out. We're
done. No, no big deal. We'll wait till he comes back. >> Oh, good. >> Disqualified. >> Yeah, disqualified. >> All right, we'll wait just a couple minutes. Sorry.
Well, I can figure he's going to be back in like the next couple minutes. So, here we go. Yeah, >> we waited till you walked out. >> Sorry about that. Um, okay. Good evening. My name is Sean. I don't want to take up too much of your
time, so I'm just going to go over a brief uh recap of last year's Princeton Triathlon, an overview of the 2026 event. Um, answer any questions you might have, and uh maybe try and get a few of you to sign up. Um, okay. I'm just going to start by reading
out some stats from last year's event. We sold out at about 250 participants um for a total of around 500 people involved with the event including spectators, volunteers, and and competitors. Um we with a super sprint and youth uh event. Um 100% of the
profits went to charity. Uh that'll be the uh triathlon club over at the high school. Um Dare to Try, which is a a company based out of Chicago that works with disabled athletes. Um and the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad. Um we had 22 local and national companies
sponsor the event. Um and a survey of all the participants uh found that there was a 94% satisfaction rating. Um and I think overall the uh amount of community engagement um it it really inspired us
and I think uh will push us to to make this upcoming event uh as as good as it can be. Um, so now to move on to the overview of this upcoming event, uh, you all should have a copy of the the handout. Um, I have an extra one right
here if if anyone needs. Um, but yeah, just to to run this list, uh, the event is scheduled for June 6th, 2026. Um, we increased Oh, also sorry, all of these all of this information has been uh thoroughly discussed with um all the
department heads that have been involved. that's uh EMS, engineering, uh police, recck department, among a few others. Um so yeah, June 6, 2026, uh we increase the participant cap to 500 people. Um so that'll make for around uh
700 to 800 uh total community involvement. Uh which makes it in the in the top three of the largest uh endurance events uh in the in Princeton. Uh just behind the half marathon and turkey trot, I believe. Um
yeah, so the QR code also goes to the website uh if if anyone is is interested. Um and then moving on to community benefits. Uh we're expecting around 30 over 30 uh local and and national companies to sponsor again uh for for marketing for you know to to get
involved with their communities. Um and then once again all the profit will go to charity. Um uh this year we're we're just doing a small change. instead of giving the um portion of the profit that went to Princeton for a first aid and rescue squad last year, uh that'll be
spread out among various uh departments in Princeton. So, engineering, uh really all the ones that I that I listed previously. Um yeah, so for for safety, you know, with a larger event, uh as we kind of went through with the uh department heads, we realized that we
would need a more comprehensive safety system. Um so that kind of takes the the shape of uh an entirely new uh volunteer system which we actually adopted from the triathlon national championship event. Um very very innovative system.
Uh we also have insurance from uh USAT which is a national organization for uh that kind of is like the the oversight committee for for triathlon. Um yeah, and then overall a higher number of of safety personnel, volunteers, EMS, police, um to to ensure
the safety of all the participants. Uh and then to wrap up with the course, uh we expanded the the course to add a a sprint distance event to it. Um so you can see in the in the little table that'll be a 400 meter swim in the
community park pool, uh a 10.5 mile bike uh around the streets of Princeton. Uh, and then the 5K run, which uh goes around uh some streets around the pool and finishes in uh Community Park. Um
yeah, that's pretty much the the overview for this upcoming event. Um I hope to see some of you on the starting line uh in June. Uh yeah, let me know if you have any questions. >> Yeah, there good. Yeah, I just uh am
curious if you have a route and with the expansion of the event an estimate of how many hours roads will be closed to accommodate. >> Yeah, good question. The QR code actually takes you straight to the uh
page on the website with all the course information. Um like uh comprehensive maps, everything like that. Um if uh I believe it it follows roughly like the half marathon course kind of combined with the Princeton 5K course if you can
uh picture those and uh it takes up the the sprint event is about um it's two loops so the actual footprint of the event is a lot smaller than the actual distance. Um and then for the for the timing I believe just because it's um in
the pool you need to do a staggered start. So, we're able to close the bike course significantly earlier than the run. And I believe those times off the top of my head will the So, the race starts at 7:00 a.m. Um, the first person enters the water at 7:00 a.m. Uh, we
will be able to close the bike course at I believe 9:15 and the run course at 9:45. So, >> thanks. It's good. >> I know last year's was a great success and I enjoyed the seeing the some of the
learnings that you had opportunities to make it even better. Um, how did uh coordination go with the police and have you been in touch with them about this year's triathlon? >> Uh, yeah. I mean, we had no complaints last year. Uh I was I've been in uh
close contact with Lieutenant Thomas and and the entire police force uh last year with no complaints. And this year, yeah, we've had multiple meetings to discuss all of these. The course has already been I'm not sure if uh they have like uh made you aware, but the the course has been fully approved by the by the
police department, um by the engineering department, by uh everyone who we who we uh ran it by. >> That that was my question. So, I'll just make a comment that um you guys congratulations, hats off to you. Last
year, the answer originally was no. Um you went back, you went back to the drawing board, you changed the course, you it's just really impressive uh what you've done. So, congratulations on a great success and we look forward to it
um continuing. So, thank you guys. >> I echo what my colleague said. you really uh have done an amazing job. It's very impressive. Uh but my question is uh I know other triathlons that allow
for uh uh relay where we have different you know somebody wants the running part, biking and swimming. Is that something that you would consider if not now in the future? >> It's Yeah, it's it's up currently. We have a a relay option.
>> Okay, good to know. Thank you. Any All right. Somebody want to make a motion on this? Brian, >> yeah. Good job. >> Okay. Michelle's got the second. Any other questions or comments? >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> I. >> There you go. You're good. >> Great job.
>> Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> All right. Next up, work session regarding streetscapes and enhancements in the central business district. All right. Thank you everyone. Um
so tonight after this lovely day of spring, we're here to talk about um our summer days in downtown or uptown Princeton. Uh so tonight we are seeking your feedback on some proposed
investments on Nassau Street between Bayard Lane and Moore Street Wither and then also on Witherspoon Street between Nassau Street and Paul Roberson Place and on Hines Plaza. Uh those upgrades
include replacing the trash recepticles, replacing and adding seating on the streets as well as in Hines Plaza. Um while not noted here, we are also looking at additional bike parking.
We propose to do some repair and cleaning of the kiosks before the summer at Witherspoon and Van Deender. Uh, additionally, uh, we normally do a flowering annual
planting every spring. Um, and this year we're looking to expand that to include vacant tree wells. Um, and then lastly, we are looking at removing unlicensed newspaper boxes. Um, Experience
Princeton is also participating in some of the upgrades by um putting in their latest version of the street light banners as well. Um, so first on this list are the trash
receptacle replacements. Uh, this has been a longstanding project uh that INO has looked at to replace our open trash recepticles which are subject to a
lot of snow and water intrusion into the open uh top. And we've had some workman comp issues that have come up as a result of the weight of the waste and
the other material that is in those trash recepticles. So, we're looking to replace those with um the receptacle. As you see here on the left, it's um it's got a a solid top, a locking side
access, and that's how the trash is removed from the bin. Um and then it's a side entry for putting in the waste. Um the darker color as you see here will
coordinate with the street lights and uh the proposed benches that you'll see later in the slide. Um we've tested out additional receptacles
um but for various reasons they did not rise to the level of acceptance with our public works folks as much as the landscape form shown here. So, we we tried a solid
they're all solid tops as you can see to address that issue of weather as well as the illegal dumping of household waste. So on the left, we tried out um an enclosure that had a foot pedal. Um in
the the second to the left that also had it was a similar design, but it had just an open side access. And then we had two others on the right. um one of which broke fairly soon after installation. So
that was removed from the street. So those are the trash receptacles that we are proposing. Um I will note that our pro our landscape architect for the
NASA streetcape project has also um selected this trash receptacle as part of the Nassau project. So it would be a consistent treatment throughout the municipality. Deanna, can I
>> do you want to take one piece at a time or do you want to go through I was going to add that you've prototype this. There's one that we've been testing out that's working well. >> Correct. That's shown here on the picture on the left. >> And uh and Dan Van Mater says he loves
it. So that that that was just that sold me right there. I mean I'm happy if DPW is happy. >> Yes. and and our our DPW folks that are normally on the um the waste collection, they've been asking me when are we
getting more. We we like those. They work out very well. Um to the issue of the illegal dumping um that still is occurring and that is something that Jeff Grosser and the health department
have been very active to pursue. um the offenders, but they're getting smarter so that they don't have any identifying information in their household waste. But we are I I think pursuing it with the landlords and the
business owners. Thank you. Um, but this just gives us another tool in the tool box to avoid getting it directly into our waste containers, which makes it then a struggle for other people that
are visiting to use those same waste receptacles. >> Yeah. It's harder to put a big bag shove it into that smaller Yeah. >> Correct. Correct. Um, so I mean it's up to you. I can field questions as we go, but I can also just roll through the
presentation and then um cover questions at that point. >> Okay, let me I'll ask a few. >> Okay, >> what's the what's the lead time on >> Well, let's let's start item by item.
What's the lead time on the trash recepticles? >> Trash receptacles? Um, it's only a couple of months. They uh they actually had a very quick turnaround when we were bringing in this um the prototype to try out. So just a
couple of months. >> Okay. What's the lead time on the benches? >> Uh the benches are longer. Um the benches are not under any sort of a state contract like the trash receptacles are. So we actually would
have to go out to bid. So that um yes, that does have if I put together the lead time of the supplier plus the time to bid, it would be about 20 weeks. So we're looking at five
months. >> Okay. And so the the reason I'm asking about the lead times, I mean, the trash cans are pretty obvious. That's that's a win, changing the trash cans for a whole bunch of reasons. Um, the seating I'm concerned about because I dislike the
idea of placing new seating on a street that we are on sidewalks that we were about to rip up and then the seating all gets put in a pile somewhere. Uh, and it will get damaged and marked up before it is brought back out. So, I don't know that the seating the benches are such a
great idea at this time. um fully on board with the trash receptacles, repairing, cleaning the kiosk as long as we're not spending a lot of money on a on one kiosk that might never get replaced and another one that will get replaced. Um so as long as we're frugal
with that planting flowers, great idea until you figure out how often are people going to walk all over them. So, I think when you and I hate to get into minutia like this, but you really need to look at where are the car doors opening in relationship to the tree
wells >> and I hate for us to spend thousands of dollars on plantings and then have some significant percentage of it just walked all over and pretty much uh wasted. Removing the unlicensed newspaper boxes,
let me know. I'll come and help you take them and throw them in the back of my truck and find some dump to put them in. That is the best I already offered in the world. >> Yeah. Yeah. Um >> anyway, other questions or comments? >> You can make a few comments. ju um just
that and I agree with your comment about the seating but um just want to share that I did have a meet and greet with residents of Avalon Witherspoon all of whom were seniors and all of whom were requesting more seating along
Witherspoon. So, uh, my one comment would be I would love to see the locations where the seating is proposed to be extended down Witherspoon. I realize there are right-of-way issues, so there may not be that many locations where we can put them, but we should at
least look at it. >> Yeah, thank you. Um, yeah, Witherspoon Street I would like to treat a little bit differently from Nassau because Nassau will be under construction. Uh, but we did not install additional seating on
the Witherspoon Street corridor after we did the project. So, I think it's it's in need of additional seating as well as the bike racks. Um, PBAC has pointed out some locations for bike racks. We've also collected our own thoughts on where
bike racks should be going rather than attached to trees on top of where flowers might be planted. Um, for feedback, would you like to see the
same style of seating throughout? Should Nassau Street have its own style or design or should it be consistent? We do use the teak benches um, as shown on the
screen right now. Would we want to continue just doing the teak benches on streets other than Nassau Street? >> Okay. >> Well, I think that would be my preference. >> Okay.
>> I I just want to make sure that all the existing benches that have lasted for so long and still have a lot of life in them that we don't discard them and they're used somewhere. And personally, I don't really care if there's two different types of benches on Nassau Street. I I don't think too many people are going to walk down Nassau Street and comment on whether all the benches are
exactly alike or not. But, you know, as long again, I I only want spending money that we have to spend. So, I don't want us to buy extra new benches just because we want every bench on Nassau Street to look the same if it doesn't make sense that we don't have an actual need for
the existing benches somewhere else. >> So, okay, let me just jump down. >> Can I Can I ask a clarification real quick though, mayor? Is that now or after we improve the sidewalk? >> Both. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. That good. Thank you. I'm
sorry. >> I just want to add that from an equity perspective, the seating on Witherspoon should be either the same or just as nice as whatever is going on street. >> Yeah. And and
just speaking personally as an older person, I don't think there should be any shortage of benches on Nassau Street or Witherspoon Street because we got all these restaurants, we got all these
shoppers. People need a place to sit down and and they need benches with backs on them for older people. No shortage of benches. people. We got a a lot of people walking and people need to rest and that is what a welcoming town
would have benches with backs on them. >> Oh, Michelle and then Brian. >> Um, so I think the teak benches can be reused. We tal we absolutely would reuse them. We need them. We need more seating in parks. We have lots of streets that
could use seating. I do think that our look on Nassau Street and Witherspoon being that important T uh should be uniform and I love the benches and I do want to make sure that these new benches would go like if you have u metal uh
accent that that goes with what we're doing with the trash can. So, I think aesthetically it's really would be nice if you're spending the money that we make sure that aesthetically it looks good. So, I'd rather not see a mishmash. Um, you know, timing wise, it's going to
be tricky. I think we leave to, you know, Deanna and staff to figure out what the timing would be uh with construction in terms of of getting that. I just want to be sure though that any new benches we purchase are all going to look aesthetically um you know
right with the new trash cans. Um and I have a few other comments before but we can keep on benches until we finish and then we'll move to the other things. >> So I'm going to reserve most of my questions till we get to my favorite slide, slide 11, the one that talks
about money. Um, but speaking of benches, um, I I think that, uh, the recommended design would look really good and would complement the recommended, uh, trash receptacle. I do
think that we need to carefully consider uh, the concern the mayor raised about timing. Um, it would be wonderful to have Nassau Street looking as uh good as it can for the 250th, but we know we're
not going to get to the the full project in time for that. And I think there is a concern that um if we install a large number of benches and trash recepticles that we'll then have to uh remove them,
store them, and reinstall them. uh and that will uh increase the chance of that some of them will be marred and also it will either be uh uh in the contract and we'll be paying for it twice or the DPW
team is going to have a lot of uh to work to do. So I I think um we could continue to talk about that. >> Can can I just ask a question on the Hines Plaza tables and chairs? >> Yes. This is just adding more. So, we
have more than what's there today. It's not replacing everything. >> It's both. So, it would be replacing some of them like you see in the picture. Um, some of them are a little worse for wear. So, we would be replacing those that we cannot fix. Um,
we are looking at repainting and and fixing some of them, but then it's also adding approximately five additional tables with four chairs per table. Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Mhm. >> Michelle.
>> And I will add that we we need them. Um, this weekend, you know, it was nice out. There was no place to sit on Hines Plaza. Uh, there's lots of room for more tables. Uh, so I think, you know, making it look uniform and some of these tables are actually like they're totally
broken. So they really do need to be replaced. So, um, anyway, I support that as well. >> Okay. Thank you, Brian. Uh, so on Hines Plaza, I absolutely agree that we need to add more tables and seating and I think these are attractive options. I
don't know whether they're the uh I think they are the proposed ones um or and not just illustrations. Um, and I would even wonder whether the proposed number is enough, uh, given how many times I'm there and good weather and see
people looking for seats. Um, I just want to bookmark for another time uh, our need to talk more about the timing of enhancing the security of Hines Plaza, which I know we've talked
about before. Okay. So, it sounds like we're talking about draft receptacles. We're talking about seating at Hines Plaza, reasonable, frugal repairs of the kiosk.
We're going to plant flowers strategically. >> And we're removing the newspaper boxes. But it sounds like the benches we're going to pause on for now. Well, my question is, can we
can we start the process on the benches to be sure that they will match and then leave Deanna to figure out timing wise how that works? I mean, we're not going to have them before October or November. You don't want to put them out for the snow either. So, it doesn't it doesn't
make sense. Well, yeah. >> Can we just can we say whether or not we like them so that she knows to move forward at least in the bid process because that's going to take a while. >> So, you just want to get a couple of them. I'm sorry. I just >> No, I'm just saying that I think we we need to see how many we're going to need
for Nassau Street and Witherspoon and start the process, start the ball rolling, even if we don't put them out now, you know, just to get started. >> Okay. All right. So, maybe I should have worded that. It sounds like the items I said were ones that I appear to hear
that there's general consensus that it's okay to green light and the benches. We're going to come back and look at actual locations and number. >> Yeah, fair. I agree. I agree with that. >> Okay. >> I like them. >> Yeah. >> I'm sorry. >> I like
I like the benches. >> Mhm. >> They look good. >> Yeah. I I like the benches, too, but I want to be clear. I don't think we should put them out and then take them down. Yeah, timing is everything. >> Yeah. >> Can I just make a couple more comments? Um, I want to say the experienced
Princeton streetscape committee is looking at planters that may, you know, that they would purchase and help enhance. So, we'll find out more about that. They may that may help. And, um, and also I really like the idea that Deiana has about planting red, white,
and blue for the baskets and just, you know, really doing a 250th theme. So, um, so I I love it and I appreciate Oh, the one other thing I wanted to mention is I did mention to Adam at the Arts Council, um, if they have any ideas on what to do with a kiosk that might clean
it up, make it look nice and and a little 250th uh, appeal. So, so that's it. >> Okay. Can Deanna, do you just want to take us over the the slide with the the numbers, the dollars? >> Yes. Yes. I also want to set an
expectation on the newspaper boxes. Um the clerk's office has been working with our attorney on the process to remove the boxes. So, um, right now where we
are at, we need to send a notification out to the owners of the boxes to alert them that they have um a box on the street without a license. So, within that notice, they are going to be given
7 days to apply for the permit. If they don't apply for the permit, we do have the option to um prosecute it municipal court and um if there's further non-compliance
then we can remove them from the the streets. It's a little bit trickier for Nassau Street itself because it is the state highway and there is a state statute and a permit
that um must be issued through the state for those newspaper boxes. But we are currently working through the details to see um how much authority we have to
enforce the state law um in the municipality on Nassau Street. So just to set an expectation that they're not going to go away overnight, but the clerk's office is actively working on addressing the situation.
>> All right. And if someone has a newspaper box that's unlicensed and they come in or fill out a request for a license or whatever the proper terminology is, we have to grant it. >> Trishka. I I am assuming it's a first amendment
uh situation pretty much. And I don't want to start answering questions on the fly and incorrectly. this evening, but there is just there's a process we have to follow because as Diana pointed out, there are first amendment overtones to this. All right. I'd also be interested in seeing
if we can kind of force some if we have any sway on over type and look of a box. If we can get I don't know a bunk box that can take three to four different papers and it's one box versus I mean it
it looks like it's really unsightly on Nassau Street having so many areas with just multiple boxes that anyway we're going to do a lot of work on Nassau Street and it just >> yeah that's certainly >> just takes up space. >> We can absolutely look into that because we're recommending other amendments
anyway to the code provisions regarding the newspaper boxes. So that's something we can look into. >> Nice. >> Okay. So, bringing you to the Brian's favorite slide. All right. So, what I'm hearing is uh
we've got the go-ahad to replace trash receptacles. That's using the clean communities grant funds. Um, we have authorization to move ahead to do
additional benches, seating, benches and seating on Witherspoon Street. And I will add in bike parking as well. Um, as well as seating in Hines Plaza. And um, >> wait, wait a minute. Let me let me just split that. Yeah, seating in Hines
Plaza. No problem. >> Correct. >> Benches. You're going to come back and talk about where benches are going to go on Nassau and Witherspoon, right? That was the request. >> I I thought we were working that Witherspoon Street we could move ahead
with because that was long overdue and that was >> Well, I kind of think that's like saying, can we just spend any amount of money for benches because we don't know how many you're going to get. So I would think that the request that I heard was would you come back to us with proposed locations for the benches on both
Witherspoon and Nestle? >> We can do that as well as bike parking >> as I'm sorry >> as well as bike parking. >> Yeah. >> Great. Okay. And
I did hear for planting um to be mindful and strategic where we're planting so that it's not being trampled. >> Yeah. >> By people getting out of cars. >> Yeah. Because people just It just amazes me that people will walk all over stuff
you've just planted and they just totally ignore that. Maybe I should be nice and walk around that. But >> we agree. And for the record, we'll say that that's not part of the pedestrian path. Yeah. >> I'm sorry, Brian. >> Time for questions.
>> Oh, I thought I covered it. >> So, uh, in reverse order, um, it references Witherspoon Street Funds. Um, are those uh authorized and unspent funds associated with the
Witherspoon Street project or is it some other source of Witherspoon Street funds? >> Yes. And it's um the funds that we are reimbursed through our state aid grant
because a portion of um each phase of Witherspoon Street was paid for by um municipal aid grants from the state, but those dollars are reimburseable. So we bond for the entire project cost
and then we get reimbursed for a portion of it. >> Okay. And um Nassau street funds uh help me understand that because the full project to the best of my knowledge there have been funds set aside but it
has not been approved by this body. uh the funds were approved as part of a bond ordinance for the project. We have not solicited bids or contracted
with um or recommended a bid award to a contractor which would then come back to council to approve a construction contract. So yes, this goes back to the idea that the
funds are budgeted but debt has not been taken out for the project yet. >> Right. But if if costs have been budgeted, I I understand that that concept. Um and at different times we
budget for many projects. Some of which we do, some of which we don't do, some of which we underspend, and some of which are uh cancelled. Um but as we think about the path ahead, um with a
number of uh major capital projects on the horizon, um it is possible we'll need to prioritize them. And so I guess my question is, is Nassau Streetcape done? It's it's already approved. That's
not subject to any further discussion. Or is it still subject to discussion as we talk about other projects that are being contemplated? It's my understanding from our conversations with council
um that there is still a need to finalize what is included in the NASA streetscape project. Um plus we'll be looking at our capital budgets very soon to understand uh where priorities lie for council. So
yeah, it's it's still um a discussion point. >> Yeah. And real realistically on that, the fact that we're not doing it this year because well, just because we don't want the sidewalks all ripped up during
the 250th by the time we get around to actually getting actual numbers, the numbers will be different. So anyway, in my mind, it's going to end up coming back here because who knows what the new numbers are going to be compared to what we anticipated. So I think anyway that's
me just jumping in and saying right I I anticipate also that it's coming back here >> and we are we are cognizant of that and we are looking at value engineering the project to to stay within the dollars
that are budgeted and that also like the um benches and the trash recepticles were included in the cost estimates for that project. So now we're pulling potentially pulling those out from a
contractor's bid. So presumably there's savings on overhead and profit um that can be realized by pulling it outside of that contract and using either a state contract or a um a
a bid just for that commodity. >> But but in my mind still part of the project cost when we talk about the project cost. >> Correct. And so when we're looking at the net dollars available, it will be minus the benches potentially.
>> Yeah. Any other questions or comments on the page with numbers? >> Okay. So I think Michelle is going to make a motion about >> I'd like to make a motion to move forward on all >> as we >> all the above as we discussed. Don, are
you okay on what we said earlier about what we're going to do or do do I need to repeat that? >> Back over discussed. >> Okay. >> Okay. I just want to say that I'm agreeing, >> but I but I might change my mind because we basically can't hear anything over here because of the fan.
>> We can turn them off. >> I mean, it's it's it's really hard to hear. So, I'm I'm agreeing with the caveat that I don't really know what I'm agreeing with. >> Oh, we're gonna Thank you, Bernie. Yes, >> I did not hear the motion and wonder if
it could be repeated. >> So, let me put it in front of me so I can read it. So, the motion is to move forward and order the trash recepticles. Now, we're going to hear back on the benches from Deanna. We're moving
forward on uh working on plantings and the kiosk u to make it look nice for now. And then the seating at Hines Plaza and we'll get um some numbers on some benches for Witherspoon. Is that and and the bike the bike parking will come back
when we have a a more of a where to put the benches and the bike parking >> and we'll hopefully make progress on getting rid of some newspaper boxes >> and the newspaper boxes. I'm ready to help pull them out as well. Yes. And just to the one note about uh the
vehicle intrusion protection for Hines Plaza, we'll come back on that. Police are uh doing some research for us on that item. >> Good point. Okay. So, that's my motion. >> Okay. Right. So, uh I'm happy to second the motion. I understand the motion. I
also just want to be clear since we saw these wonderful kiosk designs and awards that that's not what we're funding. Um, it's just uh some uh repainting and cleaning of the existing kiosks. >> Good point. Were you, now that the fan
is off, is everybody good on this end about what we're actually doing? >> I think so, but we didn't we didn't discuss. This was a discreet set of activities. We didn't get into the tree wells, the tree like that's all >> that's all coming back when we actually >> the the uh so we haven't really weighed
in on that. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> But we will in the future. No doubt. >> No doubt. All right. If everybody's comfortable, no other questions. All in favor, please say I. I. >> I. >> Okay. Thank you. All right. Now, we have public hearing on a number of ordinances, which I think some people
might be here for. Um, first one is ordinance 26-10, an ordinance of the municipality of Princeton, amending the code of the burrow of Princeton, New Jersey, 1974 to add there to a new chapter entitled filming.
Is someone gonna Thank you. Michelle's making the motion. Is there a second? Leticia's got the second. Anybody want to offer a short >> Okay. Um, so first of all, I want to thank I want to give a little context to uh what this ordinance is about. Uh,
first of all, thanking uh Don, Bernie, and Trishkov for working on this. Um the ordinance will move forward uh for our town completing the five-step certification program to be a certified film ready town. So being film ready means that Princeton will be included in
the New Jersey Economic Development Authorities Motion Picture and TV marketing program. New Jersey is a destination and this is pretty interesting. um as filmed production is the fastest growing state for filming while California and Texas have seen
declines in the past few years. In 2024, over $800 million was generated in New Jersey on these projects and projections for last year are that it will exceed a billion dollars. Being a film ready certified town means bringing business
to town. Hiring local actors, stage, production crew means jobs. And some productions can bring millions of dollars of spending to our local retailers like hardware, supplies, clothing, and our restaurants, catering, hotels for staying for the actors and
crew. Um, so this can give a great positive impact for our local businesses and is the as the industry we know is creating so much content being able to be part of the outreach that the New Jersey Film and Motion Picture uh Institute is doing is really essential.
So we know, you know, Princeton is a natural site for film production. Um, we've hosted major films like Oppenheimer, IQ. our architecture, parks, streetscapes, historic buildings make us a perfect destination for film production. Um so now as part of the
certification process um we have completed the workshop. So Don and I have attended the workshop designated we need to designate a film leazison. Um so Bernie Bernie volunteered for this. I think Don um is uh is is backing up and
working with Bernie. So we have our leazison. Um this is the part that we need to do tonight which is to adopt the ordinance which gives a permit process that is um certified by the um by the institute. Um additional filming
locations need to be uploaded to the state's production database. Um that's being done and has been done to the satisfaction. We can continue to add some. And then the last step is something we're working with Experience Princeton on, which is to upload a directory of local services, products,
um, and, uh, retailers and restaurants. So, uh, we're almost there. And, uh, I just want to thank everyone for your cooperation. >> Thank you. Any questions or comments up here? Mia. Yeah, I'd like to thank Michelle for all her hard work in um
making the contacts and and making all this happen, which is really important and um figuring out what we need to do to become film ready. So, thank you. >> Any other questions or comments? Just want to say well done.
>> We can uh start filming tomorrow as people throw newspaper boxes away. We want to get that on film, >> right? Did you have >> Yeah, just um I know it's too late to amend it, but if we ever do, I I think we should put in a requirement that we all any, you know, sitting mayor or
council members get prominent roles >> at least a bit a bit part, right? >> Okay. Any other comments up here? Anybody in the audience have a comment? Just say your name. So the
>> Robin Leitis, executive director, experience Princeton. I am a former art department coordinator for a couple movies in Boston. I worked also worked with location scouts and really all we did was say go to this store for
buttons, go to that store there. There not as many button stores as there used to be, but we'll find the store that has the buttons. and it was just um a conduit to getting our businesses extra
money for locations, for rentals, for props. Um and I can't offer more than our highest support for this. So, thank you and thanks Michelle for putting this together. We can't wait to be film ready.
>> Thank you, Roman. Anybody else in the room have a comment or question? Anybody online? Anybody on Zoom with a question? All right, seeing none, we'll close the uh the public hearing and ask for a roll call vote, please. >> Mr. McDonald,
>> yes. >> Mr. Cohen, >> yes. >> Miss Peron Lamrose, >> yes. >> Miss Saxs, >> yes. >> Miss Bragga, >> yes. >> Mr. Nulan, >> yes. Next up, ordinance 2608, an ordinance of the municipality of Princeton amending chapter B17A entitled
land use and zoning of the municipality of Princeton to create the affordable housing district 16 AH16 in furtherance of the Fair Housing Act. Is there a motion on that? Thank you, Leticia. Is there a second? Thank you, David. Justin, are you doing the summary of
each one? >> Certainly. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um these six ordinances are the final trunch of ordinances um implementing ordinances necessary to secure final certification by our March 15th deadline for the uh
fourth round housing plan element and fair share plan. Um, ordinance 20268, the first one up, would reszone two lots comprising one property at 13 Chestnut Street to allow for the realistic opportunity for development of 100% affordable multif family building with a
minimum of 16 units uh per our fourth round housing plan uh housing element and fair share plan. These municipally owned lots are the site of the Chestnut Street Firehouse. The ordinance would require the existing 1949 built firehouse to remain with minimal changes
and it would allow it would allow an addition to the rear to replace the existing addition. The 1949 built firehouse must be retained and reused for residential use and accessory uses including a community room on the first floor.
All new construction uh per the ordinance shall be behind the original firehouse uh except for new construction to the rear of the existing roof such as the addition of dormers or replacement of that section of the roof. The maximum
height allowed is four stories and 48 ft to keep the addition be behind the existing building. Um, I'm happy to answer any other questions that you might have about other bulk standards as detailed in my memos in the ordinance packet. Uh, the planning board reviewed
this ordinance last Thursday and found it to be substantially consistent with the Princeton master plan and recommended approval of the ordinance with no comments. Thank you. >> Thank you, Justin. Questions, comments up here? Mia, >> uh, I think we have some members from
Princeton Community Housing here tonight, so I don't know if they want to say anything, but I just want to thank all of you again for your partnership and working through this really exciting example of adaptive reuse, um, which is what we should be doing as a state. And
um we appreciate you're being willing to keep um the uh a community room and um to allow members of the public to view the um fire fire memorabilia there. Um and Ed, really, you've been
such a trooper. This was not an easy site to adapt. And um Justin and Ed, thank you so much for all your work in in bringing this to fruition tonight. really um teamwork, great work. >> Other questions or David?
>> Yeah. And I just wanted to add a comment uh similar to what I made at the planning board that um this project along with several of our other projects really are differential to the existing streetscape where they're uh located. As
you heard, uh the entire existing historic portion of the firehouse is to be retained and um it's really gonna help make this uh new housing a really
good um neighborhood citizen. So, anything else up here? Anybody in the room that wants to speak to this? And just remember when you come up just say your name so we when we do the minutes we know who is chatting. We do have a
threeminut limit. So good evening. Ed Trouselli, executive director of Princeton Community Housing. I I will be brief. Thank you for your kind words. Uh Councilwoman Saxs. Um I should mention that several trustees from Princeton Community Housing are here in the audience and I I'm sure
several are online. So I just want to acknowledge their their support and presence. Um, just real quick, as I said, I don't want to take too much time. Um, thank you to council and and mayor and council for considering this ordinance to create at least 16 new
affordable rental homes. Um, it demonstrates not just an effort to fulfill a constitutional obligation, but a sincere and thoughtful way to be inclusive, advance inclusivity, and also sound planning. um as David mentioned,
Councilwoman uh Councilman Cohen mentioned, so we appreciate the effort to to be part of that and work collaboratively with the uh community and uh and the uh and the municipality. Um thank you very much. >> Thank you, Ed. >> Thank you. >> Is there anybody else in the room that
wants to make a comment on this one? >> Good evening, council members. I am. >> Can you just if you can lower that so it's easier for you to speak into it. It's just people on Zoom can't hear if you're not Hello. >> There you go. >> You're good. >> My name is Gene Rosen Bloom. I am one of
the members of the board of trustees of Princeton Community Housing. Um, and I just want to express my very strong support for um the this resolution to develop affordable housing at this site and as well as the other resolution
which I haven't mentioned yet um to develop it at John the John Street site. I think these are both uh really important opportunities um to develop full affordable housing um at those sites which is very important and very
needed and will fit into the community. So they're not going to stick out like a sore thumb. It's gentle infill. It's going to be familyfriendly housing opportunities um for a diverse community that we all appreciate. So
very much in favor of them and I just want to tell you that I really appreciate your support for these resolutions and affordable housing. Thank you. >> Thank you. Anybody else in the room that
wants to speak on this? All right. Anybody on Zoom that wants to speak to this? All right. See no hands up. We'll close the public hearing and a roll call vote, please. >> Mr. McDonald, >> yes. >> Mr. Cohen,
>> yes. >> Miss Peron Lamros, >> yes. >> Miss Saxs, >> yes. >> Miss Braga, >> yes. >> Mr. Nulan, >> yes. Thank you. Next up is ordinance 26-11, an ordinance of the municipality of Princeton amending chapter T10B entitled land use of the municipality of
Princeton to create the Affordable Housing District 13 AH13 in furtherance of the Fair Housing Act. Would someone like to move that? Thank you, Mia. Is there a second? Thank you, Michelle. Uh Justin. Yes. Thank you. Uh, ordinance
202611 would reszone two lots at 11 to 33 State Road and 60 Mount Lucas Road to allow for an inclusionary mixeduse development of up to 82 new residential units with 20% designated affordable including a minimum of at least 16 affordable units uh per our fourth round
housing plan uh housing element and fair share plan. Uh, the parcels are currently developed with a bank building with a drive-thru, a two-story medical office building, a one-story commercial building with a dry cleaner business in it, and a three-story office building.
This ordinance requires a comprehensive development of this site uh that will include multifamily residential units above the ground floor or street level, town houses along Mount Lucas Road, retail sales and services and restaurants or restaurants uh on the
street level facing state road uh route 206 and offices including medical offices and urgent care facilities restricted to the ground floor and second story. The proposed ordinance permits a maximum height of five stories and 65 feet. Um, an enclosed penthouse
level for residential amenities with a maximum height of 11 feet is also permitted. Uh, town houses are required uh facing Mount Lucas Road with a permitted maximum height of 2.5 stories and 35 ft again to blend into the uh, surrounding residential neighborhood.
The ordinance includes tailored signage to allow for this mix of uses while also respecting that res those residential uses across Mount Lucas and recognizing the state road of Route 206. Uh the planning board reviewed this ordinance last Thursday and found it to be substantially consistent with the
Princeton master plan and recommended approval of the ordinance without any recommendations uh otherwise. Uh although they did have one discussion um just flagging that the intersection of State Road, Mount Lucas Road, and Cherry Hill Road um as something that will need
to be looked at carefully during site plan review. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Justin. Questions or comments up here? Michelle, >> I just want to say that, you know, when we're talking about underutilized property and finding uses that make
sense for the community. Um, I'm really thrilled to see that this includes the possibility of having urgent care there. No guarantees of course, but being able to anticipate that in the zoning and in, you know, in conversation. I'm really glad to hear that this um could have uh
the possibility. That's something that we really are missing in town. Um so I'd like to see not only the housing that we need as part of our um our set, you know, our our our fourth round plan, but also that this could bring about some
other commercial uses that make sense and uh are important for the town. So thank you Justin. Appreciate it. >> Other questions or comments? Mia? >> Yeah. Um I just want to make clear um for those who don't totally understand planning speak that Justin described um
this is on um a hill. So the with the highway and more commercial area on one side on 206 and with the residential area on the other. And we appreciate um you know in working with the developer that he has um been sensitive to the
residential character. Um, and so the town houses on, you know, on the Mount Lucas side, there are town houses. Um, and you will not be able to see the the more um the denser part of the structure
from the residential side. Um, and of course, we love it because it's mixed use and it's conversion of a stranded asset. And I think the last time this office building was filled was when I was in middle school and had to go and
have my regular ENT appointments and it has been falling apart ever since then. And um you know we're so pleased that this is going to be um used in this very productive way um to provide housing and economic development for the town. So
>> Ryan, >> I just want to uh emphasize the point that Justin made that during the review process that intersection, which already is a challenging one, will be carefully studied and uh looked at.
>> So this ordinance allows all this to happen, which is really great, but we have no specific agreement with the developer to actually build anything yet. Is that right? >> Well, this is not redevelopment. It's a zoning ordinance. So that's he has to >> No. So the Right. So we we've allowed
for it. Now we need to hope that they do something. So >> All right. Well, never mind. I'll save it till later >> because just in case if if people don't do something that we're allowing in some of these ordinances, then we have to figure out how to promote it more or go
pull somebody in. >> Yeah. And mayor, if I might, um, what we're required to do as part of the fourth round, uh, uh, state law is create the realistic opportunity for development by March 15th. Uh, we'll then have a check-in, I believe, 5 years
into, uh, the round and then we have to complete, uh, reach the number of units that we were assigned within 10 years. So there very well may be some moving things around but uh as of right now we're creating that opportunity here >> and and elsewhere.
>> Right. Yeah. Thank you. I just want to make people aware of that. All right. I'm sorry. Anything else up here? >> Anybody in the room that wants to speak to this one? >> All right. Any There's a hand up uh online. Adam, can we bring uh Oh, there you go.
Go bring Jean in. Jean, just remember if you state your name and then Watch this timer. All right, Jean. Uh, barely. >> Uh, turn up my volume. >> There we go.
>> Okay. Thank you. Um, I I wasn't fully aware that this was a a zoning ordinance uh when people were talking about urgent care and traffic study. Um, so I'm glad to learn that it's just that. I just had two two points. I want to thank
Councilman McDonald for mentioning the terrible intersection at Mount Lucas and and um uh Cherry Hill or Cherry Valley. I can never remember the name of the road and I drive it every day. Um, you know that it's a serious problem now and
if we develop in that area, it will only become worse. Um, so not an intuitive intersection to navigate. Uh, and uh, just really want to highlight that in terms of any urgent care, if we do have an urgent care coming into our town, I
would hope that somebody is paying attention to whether or not they accept Medicaid patients because it is very difficult for folks uh, on Medicaid to uh, receive treatment in and around our town. And that's all I wanted to say.
Thanks. >> Thank you, Jean. Anybody else on Zoom that wants to have comment on this? >> All right, seeing no other hands up, we'll close the public hearing and a roll call vote, please. >> Mr. McDonald, >> yes. >> Mr. Cohen,
>> yes. >> Miss Peron Lamrose, >> yes. >> Miss Saxs, >> yes. >> Miss Braa, >> yes. >> Mr. Nulan, >> yes. Next up, ordinance 2612, an ordinance of the municipality of Princeton amending chapter B17A entitled land use and zoning of the municipality
of Princeton to create the Affordable Housing District 17 AH17 in furtherance of the Fair Housing Act. And if someone would move that, thank you, Michelle. Is there a second? Thank you, David. Justin. Ordinance 202617 would reszone
one property at 27 North Harrison Street to allow for a 100% affordable housing development with a minimum requirement of 34 affordable housing units. This municipally owned lot is the site of the uh Harrison Street firehouse and municipal maintenance garage which is
intended to be relocated to the municipality's River Road property. The ordinance permits stepped a stepped back maximum height of three stories and 36 feet within 25 ft of the property line on North Harrison Street. Then a maximum
of four stories and 48 ft behind that for the remainder of the property. Um, I do want to hi uh highlight though that setbacks were tailored on this one, particularly near the Queenston Commons town home development of uh a 15-ft setback in the rear where the building
could not be built and 8 foot uh setback on the northern side. Um the planning board reviewed this ordinance last Thursday and found it to be substantially consistent with the Princeton master plan and recommended approval of the ordinance with no comments. Thank you.
>> Thank you. questions or comments up here. This is for A817. Correct. >> So, just in this one, the timetable is a little bit different since this is our property. So, we don't have the
five-year check-in and the 10 years to do that. If you could just explain the difference. >> Yeah, per the courts, we have two years to uh get to a shovel ready project. Uh and by we, I mean every municipality in the program in the state. Um while at the same time uh uh the state law gives
bonuses for redeveloping municipally owned properties. So a lot of towns are going to be looking to do that. Um two years for a shovel ready project is very ambitious. So I'm curious how that's going to happen. Um but that is one of the requirements of the uh the legislation.
>> Never let reality get in the way. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. Uh Leon. >> Yeah, Justin. And I I talked to you about this today, but just for the benefit of my colleagues who probably know or for people in the audience or virtually
on on this particular uh item, the number and it also is on the next one on AH18, maybe a little bit before ahead of myself, but there's 34 affordable units on AH17 and then there says there's 35
affordable units on AH18. However, we've been used to using the 20% on our affordable units, but there's no top number on either number four or number five to tell us. For example, 35 and 34
are 20% of of 175. Are we suggesting that those are the number of units that are going to be on these two sites? >> But this one, >> this is 100% affordable. >> This is going to be all affordable. It's not going to be the split. >> Okay. The nonprofit, >> right? Because if it was the split, you're exactly correct. The total number of units would be tremendous.
>> Okay. But is this also on AH18? Same thing. >> Yeah. Yeah. Which will Yeah. Okay. >> Thank you. Sorry. >> And Councilman, if I might, um there is also an an additional development requirement because we own these sites. Uh so there will have to be an agreement um a municipal developers agreement with
the municipality and the developer. >> Is there any information here, Justin, about how we would search for our developers? >> Uh no, there's not. Should there be? >> I don't believe so. Uh I think we would have to work that out uh with the developer after the fact. I'm not sure
exactly how we would uh go about that. >> It's a zoning ordinance. >> But is that to say that we already have a developer in mind for both of these sites? Oh, so we will be going out to look at developers across the country. Then >> we have developers >> we have Princeton Community Housing for
the one for the one site I think that you're referencing. So bottom line is we need to find somebody. Yes. And we need to find somebody soon. >> But shouldn't all that information be included in what we're looking at today? >> No. >> Well, I think there's there's a
difference between what the ordinance has to say and then what we have to do to make the ordinance happen. Arth will make it. >> Yeah. And in general, it's not actually this is not the sort of thing that we want to discuss in public because Yeah. So, >> okay. Thank you.
>> Yeah. Yeah, but Leighton, I mean, it's so noted that we do need to we need to get on the ball about the next steps. Oh, I'm sorry. Any other questions or comments up here? All right. Anybody in the room have any question or comment on this one?
Anybody on Zoom question or comment on this one? >> All right, seeing no hands up, we'll close the public hearing. Can we have a roll call vote, please? >> Mr. McDonald? >> Yes. >> Mr. Cohen? >> Yes. >> Miss Peron Lamrose? >> Yes. Miss Saxs, >> yes.
>> Miss Frogga, >> yes. >> Mr. Nulan, >> yes. >> Next up, ordinance 26-13, an ordinance by the m of the municipality of Princeton amending chapter T10B entitled land use of the municipality of Princeton to create the affordable housing district 18, AH18 in furtherance
of the Fair Housing Act. Could we have a motion on that? Thank you, Michelle. Is there a second? Thank you, Mia. Uh, Justin. >> Yes. Thank you. Ordinance 202613 would reszone one lot at 303 John Street to allow for a 100% affordable housing
development with a minimum requirement of 35 affordable housing units plus a permitted unit for a site manager. Uh this lot currently houses municipal DBW staff in a trailer that was meant to be temporary with a salt dome and storage
for vehicles and equipment behind it. Um these are expected to be relocated to the municipality's River Road facility. Interestingly, the um 1996 Princeton community plan notes that quote uh relocation of the John Street facility
is currently underway and will probably be completed by 1997. End quote. Uh the 35 units uh plus the uh uh site manager unit are permitted to be in apartments or town homes and we expect multiple
smaller scale buildings on this site to fit it in with the surrounding Witherspoon Jackson neighborhood. Uh these buildings can be up to 3.5 stories and 45 ft in height. You can see these as a concept plan in appendix Q of the fourth round plan, but I believe this was erroneously left out of your uh
ordinance packets and my apologies. The planning board reviewed this ordinance last Thursday and found it to be substantially consistent with the Princeton master plan and recommended approval of the ordinance with no comments. Thank you. >> Thanks, Justin. Questions or comments up here? Michelle,
>> again, thanks to PCH, Princeton Community Housing for your partnership on this. um you know, having uh dump trucks in Salt Dome as neighbors for the Witherspoon Jackson neighborhood versus having a lovely uh affordable housing um
development. There's really it's a no-brainer. So, um I'm really excited that since 1997, we're finally moving forward uh on this. I didn't realize I had gone back that that far, but I know since uh I began on council and there
was talk of building uh a facility there just always seemed out of place. I know it's close to 400. Uh but having that storage there and having those big trucks going through small narrow streets, residential streets just never really made sense to me. So I'm really
thrilled this is moving forward. Thank you. >> Thanks. Other questions or comments? Mia? Yeah, I just want to thank um our other colleague, Councilwoman Nethergang. Um this was there was a plan to um put the public works facility
there permanently. Um and both Councilwoman Nether Gang and Councilman Lamrose and I felt very strongly that that was from an equity perspective not an appropriate place for that. um one can imagine that um many other neighborhoods in the town would not be
amanable to having that adjacent to their neighborhood. Um and in addition to which it's a walkable um you know space close to community park and um so we're we are really glad that um that this is happening but it also does mean
that we are having to move because this is a municipally sponsored project. Um, the public should note that, you know, this has the two-year time frame and it means the town is now tasked with moving our public works facility from both the Harrison Street site that we just
mentioned and this site out to River Road within uh two years. And so there are a number of us on council who are meeting bi-weekly with um a consortium of consultants to um figure out how best
to expedite that process on River Road. And it will it will not be cheap. Um so when you get to the to hear what the budget situation is for this year, you'll hear more about the River Road project and you can connect it to what's
happening here. Other questions or comments up here? Anyone in the audience wants to speak to this one? No. Okay. Anybody on Zoom that wants to speak to this one? >> All right. Seeing no hands up, we'll
close the public hearing and have a roll call vote, please. >> Mr. McDonald, >> yes. >> Mr. Cohen, >> yes. >> Miss Peron Lamrose, >> yes. >> Miss Saxs, >> yes. >> Miss Braa, >> yes. >> Mr. Nulan, >> yes. Next up, ordinance 26-14, an
ordinance of the Municipality of Princeton amending chapter B17A entitled land use and zoning of the municipality of Princeton to create the affordable housing overlay district 19 AH19 in furtherance of the Fair Housing Act. And if someone would move that, thank
you. Mia Laticia has got the second. Uh Justin, >> thank you. Uh, ordinance 202624 is a little different from the other ordinances you've seen tonight and at previous meetings. Uh, though it is still mentioned in our fourth round housing element and fair share plan.
This ordinance would amend the AH2 overlay district in the Jugtown area which was established as part of our third round housing element in 2020. This ordinance would take five parcels at the intersection of Nassau and North Harrison streets out of the AHO2 and
place them into a new AHO19 overlay district. Uh their underlying zoning is either neighborhood business or residents business and that will not change. These five parcels are all in the Jugtown historic district. Uh the ordinance requires the retention of the
street fronting historic buildings um as it did in the AHO2 though it confirms that no new construction is permitted on top of these buildings. The ordinance permits the development of multiple dwellings uh above the ground floor or behind commercial unit uh uses on the
ground floor or street level. It also permits town houses, uh, stack town houses, and a combination of multiple dwellings and townhouse uses, uh, as well as retail sales and services, offices, and restaurants on the ground floor so long as the business faces on
Nassau Street. At least 20% of any proposed residential units are required to be designated as affordable uh, under for someone to utilize the overlay. The ordinance allows a maximum height of three stories and 35 ft, which is slightly less than the AHO2 in existence
now with a pitched roof requirement. Setback requirements have also been modified uh in this ordinance. The parking requirements are the same as they are with the AHO2. The planning board reviewed this ordinance last Thursday and found it to be substantially consistent with the
Princeton master plan and recommended approval of the ordinance. While the board didn't have any comments or recommendations regarding the ordinance itself except for the approval, uh it recommended that a memo or it discussed a memo uh preparing a memo explaining the background of and decision-making on
the proposed overlay be prepared and included in the municipalities files on this ordinance. And I believe that was uh brought on by a discussion of how community groups were involved in coming to a compromise on the recent 344 Nassau Street uh zoning board application in
this area uh utilizing the AHO2 as well as this ordinance itself. Thank you. >> Thanks, Justin. Questions, comments up here? >> Brian? >> Yeah. Question. Um, as Justin noted, this is a little different than the than
the others. And, um, I'm just wondering if you could walk us through the the steps for the approval process and specifically, is there a stop with the Historic Preservation Commission? >> Certainly, that's a great question. Uh
for any application utilizing this overlay, um they would have to submit a site plan application uh and first go to the historic preservation commission followed by a stop at either the planning board or the zoning board. Um the historic preservation commission uh
is tasked with recommending or not recommending approval of the application. Uh as we saw play out with the 344 Nassau Street application, they did not recommend approval. the developer developer went back to the drawing board came in with a new application and I think um uh a
compromise occurred that that left everyone happier than they would have been otherwise. Uh so that same process would would essentially uh occur for any application for development with this overlay. Yeah. >> Um to your point, Brian, and I think
we'll hear from um some people who have been part of the historic uh advocacy jug group who have been um working to amend this ordinance. Um their concern was that the uh the way it was
previously constructed, they would their only remedy was the HPC. And I believe that they no longer um it's still they will have to go through HBC but the people you know who were concerned about what
is the very um unique historic nature of this corner they believe now that the that the ordinance as amended does protect that and I think this was really important because for all of us you know in public life and as elected officials um I think it's important that our
constituents know that sometimes um in the course of making policy policy. We make policies that need to be amended, revisited, reviewed and changed. And I think that um hopefully helps us to maintain the public trust. And this is
this was a third round ordinance which we felt um was rushed at the end during COVID and really didn't receive the attention that it needed um that to respect the very historic nature of this
corner. And so we've worked with the judge town groups and historic advocacy groups to put in place uh an amended ordinances ordinance that does protect that. And I really pleased whenever there is compromise dialogue and and and
a happy solution reached. It's a good day. So >> thank you. Any other questions or comments up here? Leon. >> Yeah, thanks for those comments. to me as liazison to the HPC. I I just want to say cuz people probably don't know and
weren't there that this this uh application was hotly contested when it first came to the HPC. And then something very unique. People started talking people started talking and people that wanted to
protect the history wanted to protect the history. people that wanted to build houses wanted to build houses and then they came together and we're going to end up protecting the history of Princeton and going to have the opportunity for other people to live here and that's what happens as Mia said when people compromise and let's hope
that going forward we'll have more conversations like that between people that are strong supporters of our history and architect and also strong supporters of making this a welcoming town and having this be a place where people from different economic and
diversity levels can live. So, it was a it was a good conversation all the way around and I'm happy that, you know, that's kind of the way we're starting to do business here in Princeton to blend in the old with the new and to keep people here happy. Thank you. >> Thanks, Leon. Any other comments or
questions up here? Anybody in the audience in the room that has anything to say on this? Again, just come up, state your name, and watch the magic timer. Um, my name is Clifford Zinc and uh, first I'd like to congratulate uh, the
affordable housing committee, Michelle, Mia, and David and uh, also the planning board and Justin for getting all these ordinances done. I think we're six days ahead of the deadline. And also two weeks ago, you passed
another slew of ordinances, a vast amount of work. The public has no idea how much work you all put into this to to meet the state mandate. I also congratulate you on very carefully selecting excellent development sites.
All sites that are underutilized now in very good parts of the town where new affordable walkable uh housing will be very important. uh no demolition of any significance on any of
these sites. Um very well done for everybody regarding this particular ordinance. As as Mia mentioned, the original AHO2 uh was passed and there was a rush. There was a co on and that ordinance uh
unfortunately did not address the fact that these five properties in the current ordinance are in the historic district. So the overlay that was designed for the AHO2 was not quite appropriate. And so, um, we really appreciate working with particularly Mia
and David and and also Justin on making some very careful, uh, adjustments to this. There were other people involved. Uh, David Kinsey was very important. Kathy Knight, and I appreciate everybody's willingness to listen to
community input and to find a way to come up with a better outcome here. and um really appreciate that and uh so I I encourage the council and the planning staff going forward you're going to have
a very big project coming up which is adopting uh a whole new set of ordinances combining the ordinances and so I just encourage you to be as careful with all the details of those ordinances because we have a very precious town
here and while we have many opportunities ities to create additional housing. We also want to keep the sense of the really unique sense of place that that we have here in Princeton. So, I think this is a very good a good step in
that direction. So, thank you all for really paying very close attention to this. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Anybody else in the room have a comment on this one? Any Oh, there's a hand up. Uh, Adam, if you could bring in Don.
Don, if you could just identify yourself and >> I apologize. It's Kathy Knight. I'm coming in under my husband's name, so it's Kathy Knight, not Don Denny. But we're both we're both in support of it. >> Okay. >> Um, I I wanted to thank everyone. really
most of everything I was going to say was already covered and I really appreciate um what Mia had to say, what Leighton had to say, and what Clifford had to say. Um as a member of Save Jugtown and a neighbor of the proposed AHO19,
we're really grateful for council for amending this ordinance, giving the new overlay, taking out the historic buildings from the original AHO2 and putting them into a new AHO9. um it's going to make them much more compatible with the Jugtown Historic
District and um much simpler moving forward and that we won't have to have a battle for every one of these corners as they propose to get developed. But there are sensible logical um ordinances in place which give appropriate scale uh development
opportunities for the historic district. So, I don't need to keep saying the same thing that everyone else said, but we really do appreciate everything that council has done to to make this happen. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Kathy.
All right. Sorry. There we go. I had to wait till the screen came back so I could see if there's any other hands up on Zoom. All right. I don't see any other hands up, so let's close the public hearing. And can we have a roll call vote, please? >> Mr. McDonald? >> Yes. >> Mr. Cohen, >> yes. >> Miss Peron Lamrose,
>> yes. >> Miss Saxs, >> yes. >> Miss Frogga, >> yes. >> Mr. Nulan, >> yes. >> Next up, ordinance 26-15, an ordinance of the municipality of Princeton amending chapter T10B entitled land use of the municipality of Princeton to address the requirements of the Fair
Housing Act and the Uniform Housing Affordability Controls regarding compliance with the municipality's affordable housing obligations. Thank you, Mia, and thank you, Leticia. Uh Justin. >> Yes. Thank you, Mayor. Uh ordinance 202615
is also different than the other fourth round ordinances that you've seen. Um this ordinance replaces the article on affordable housing that's currently in the municipal code. Um that existing article is from previous rounds mandated by the state. While the new one you see
in this ordinance is based on the fourth round and is a requirement uh to get our fourth round compliance. This new chapter is based on a model ordinance which follows current U-Hack and DCA rules and U-Hack being the uniform housing affordability controls
DCA department of community affairs. Um and it includes among other sections definitions, uh the municipalitywide mandatory set aside, uh affordable housing construction and design regulations, affordable housing program regulations, unit standards, uh income
restrictions, administration, enforcement, marketing, and development fees. Uh, the planning board reviewed this ordinance last Thursday and found it to be substantially consistent with the Princeton master plan and recommended approval of the ordinance with no comments. Thank you.
>> Thanks, Justin. Questions or comments up here? >> Yes, Leon. >> Thanks, Justin. Yeah, I read this very carefully and I want to bring your attention and a question to uh article 12 affordable housing
division one general under B. It reads as follows. This ordinance is intended to ensure that very low, low, and moderate income units are created with controls on affordability over time and that very low, low, and moderate unit
households shall occupy these units pursuant to statutory requirements. My question is how long what is overtime how will these units how long over time will these units be affordable and who is
responsible for their affordability on a year-to-year basis with regard with regard to compliance because I don't know about my colleagues here but I'm hearing a lot of feedback from people in affordable units in our
municipality that have been newly been constructed that are a little bit concerned about the year-to-year income, the year-to-year uh increases. So, that's a question and I want it on public record that I've asked it because it's significantly important that houses that
we're building remain affordable for people to be able to live there. >> So, I I can answer that if or Justin, you want to answer? >> I'll let Justin go. Yeah, >> sure. Uh so within these 40 or so pages and within the 46 pages of of the U-Hack
requirements overall from the state, it mentions um both the breakdown of the very low, the low and the moderate income aart uh units. Um and it also mentions the terms uh where units have to be designated affordable. I believe it's now up to 40 years if they're
rental uh from the previous 30 years and it stays 30 years uh for owned units uh which we have some of them in our plan now. Um but in terms of the rents themselves, those numbers for our region are updated every year uh by either HUD
or the state and um then the rents are set based on the tenants incomes and based on the level that they're in. So, I don't know exactly um what the numbers are or why there would be a significant jump. Uh if there if there are any. Um I can certainly find out for you um from
our human services uh side of what those numbers have been in years past and uh how significant the jump has been. >> Thanks, Justin. And and I I think that the point I'm going to make it and I might as well make it is I I think that
uh moving forward that all municipalities should have some level of influence at the county or the state level on local rental control. That's the point I'm trying to make. So I guess I just
made it. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. Yeah. >> Yeah. So um we do um to the extent that um you know this is all regulated in the fourth round um across the state by
region. Uh there's a a a it's a much more rigorous system of accountability. Um and there is a state portal and there is now a newly um created position for which you have to go through training and cert certification and that's the
municipal housing liaison position which is Ro Jones um and she interfaces directly with the state. Um I am you know uh not aware of um uh you know if if you believe that there
is uh someone in Princeton who is uh an affordable housing provider who is um breaking the law then you should report it to Row um and she will you know initiate appropriate action. I'm I'm not aware of that. Um we don't have rent
control in Princeton. That's a that's a whole other situation. But for our um statemandated statutoily regulated units um that is there is not a lot of room there's not a lot of leeway. So but we
we fortunately do have a fabulous municipal housing leaison in the person of Ro Jones and if anyone if you see something say something report it to Ro and um she will take appropriate action. Okay. Any other questions or comments up
here? Anybody in the audience in the room that wants to comment on this? Anybody on Zoom that wants to comment on this? All right. See no hands up. We'll close the public hearing. Roll call vote, please. >> Mr. McDonald, >> yes.
>> Mr. Cohen, >> yes. >> Miss Pon Lamrose, >> yes. >> Miss Saxs, >> yes. >> Miss Frogga, >> yes. >> Mr. Nulan, >> yes. All right, that's it on the affordable housing ordinances. If you want to slip out, feel free. But if you want a really
not exciting time, you're more than welcome to listen to the rest of the ordinances. >> Was that an offer for all of us? >> Yeah, right. >> Brian. >> Yeah. Now that uh this is complete, right? We're we're done. I want to uh second the thanks that have been offered
to David, to Mia, to Michelle, to our attorneys, to Justin, to the consultants. I know this has been a a long journey and I can sort of imagine how much time it's taken. Um, I know you all have worked incredibly hard and um
to hear from so many residents uh not not just uh tonight but also at the the planning board meeting when all of these were presented about the very high quality uh that the the plan represents. Uh I just want to say thank you.
>> Thanks Brian. >> Okay, I second that. >> Thanks for being here. Have a good night. All right. Next up is an ordinance introduction. Ordinance 26-16, an ordinance by the Municipality of Princeton designating restricted parking
spaces for persons with disabilities on Play Street and Lee Avenue. updating restricted parking spaces in additional locations and amending, excuse me, section B19-30 of the Code of the Burrow of Princeton,
New Jersey, 1964, and section T11-11.1 of the Code of the Township of Princeton, New Jersey, 1968. Thank you. David's got the motion. Leticia's got the second. Roll call vote. >> Mr. McDonald, >> yes. >> Mr. Cohen, >> yes.
>> Miss Peron Lamrose, >> yes. Miss Saxs, >> yes. >> Miss Frogga, >> yes. >> Mr. Nulan, >> yes. >> All right. Resolutions. Resolution 26-072, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton authorizing the award of a contract to National Auto Fleet for two
new unused 2026 Toyota RAV 4 hybrid vehicles for use by the building department for $69,428.78 utilizing Sourcewell National Cooperative Purchasing Contract number 081325-NF. Thank you, David. Is there a second?
Thank you, Brian. Questions or comments? David, >> I just want to note that uh I did inquire whether these were plug-in hybrid or conventional hybrids. Unfortunately, they are conventional hybrids, which um is all that's
available right now. The supply chain is still messed up. um ever ever since COVID honestly. Uh so we can't really get the vehicles we want but this is certainly better than a uh
regular gasoline engine in terms of fuel efficiency and carbon emissions. So I am supporting it. >> Thank you. Any other questions or comments? >> All right. All in favor please say I. >> I. Resolution 26-073, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton awarding
of professional services agreement to preservation design partnership LLC for continuation of services and furtherance of design guidelines for historic districts. Uh Leighton's got the motion. David's got the second. Questions or comments? David. Uh again, just want to comment
that this is not a change in the contract amount. It is purely an extension of time. And uh I also want to say that this consultant is fantastic. I've been working with them uh since they started on creating these design
guidelines for our historic districts. It's going to be such a boon to members of the community uh especially, you know, simple residents who don't really understand what's involved in owning a property in a historic district. Um, I
think it's long overdue and really great that we're doing it now. >> Thank you, David. Other questions or comments? All right. All in favor, please say >> I have >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> I had a comment. >> Oh, my bad. >> Yeah. I wanted to thank Leighton and David for working on this. Um, and this
is one of those things where historic design guidelines in municipal life where you hear year after year after year after year and then you think it will never happen and then all of a sudden it happens and or it's in progress. And so this is really exciting
because this is so desperately needed um particularly for our planning and zoning staff to have clarity um and to be able to advise the the public properly. Um, so I'm I'm really pleased to hear who is the consultant. >> Dominique Hawkins is her name. The firm
is >> pres uh preservation design partnership out of Philadelphia. >> She is the principal. >> She's she had a role in finding her. Um, thank you. This is great news. And thank you Leighton and David for working on
this. >> She's given us a great product. All right. Any other comments or questions? All in favor say I. I. Resolution 26074, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton authorizing an increase of $55,000 to the not to exceed amount for professional services agreement with
Greenbomb Rose Smith and Davis LLP for 2025 legal services related to affordable housing planning and redevelopment for a new not to exceed amount of $317,000. Michelle's got the motion. Leighton's got the second. Why are we
doing Why are we doing this? Somebody This is essentially to close out 2025 as you saw by all the ordinances that you just passed this week and last week. Uh there was a lot of work uh kind of down the end uh that had to be done in a in a timely manner. So a lot of hours were
put in and that took us over what we had set aside initially. Uh so this brings us uh through the end of the contract with them uh for 2025. >> Thank you. Any other questions or comments? All in favor, please say I. >> I.
>> Resolution 26075, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton authorizing an increase of $4,834.98 cents to the not to exceed amount for professional services agreements with appro McDermott Mastro and Murphy PC for 2025
labor council legal services for new not to exceed amount of $77,833.98. If so, thank you Michelle. Is there a second? Thank you, Leon. Questions or comments? I see none. All in favor, please say, "I."
>> I. I. >> Resolution 26076, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton authorizing the award of an agreement for extraordinary unspecifiable unspecifiable services with the Center for Modern Aging Princeton for an amount not to exceed $194,850.
David has the motion. Leighton has the second. Questions or comments? I'll just point out this is our yearly agreement with them in case anybody watching is curious. >> David, I will just say they're a fantastic partner and if we tried to
provide the services to our seniors that this group provides ourselves, it would cost us way more than this. >> Yep, good point. Any other questions or comments? All in favor, please say I. >> I. I. Resolution 26077, resolution of
the Mar and Council of Princeton authorizing the award of professional services agreement to Greenbomb Row Smith and Davis LLP for legal services as 2026 redevelopment council for an amount not to exceed $235,000. Is there a motion on that? Thank you, Mia. Michelle's got the second.
Questions or comments? All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> I. Resolution 26078, resolution of the mayor and Council of Princeton authorizing a one-year extension to the contract with US Athletic Fields, Inc. for mowing for an amount not to exceed $117,000
781. Oh, 117,781.73. Thank you, Leighton. Is there a second? Thank you, Brian. Questions or comments? I see none. All in favor, please say, "I." >> I. >> I. >> Okay. Resolution 26079. There's only a 100 more of these. uh resolution of the
mayor and council of Princeton authorizing a one-year extension to the contract with US Athletic Fields, Inc. for turf management services for an amount not to exceed $26,5901. Thank you, Leighton. Brian's got the second. Questions or comments? All in favor, please say I. >> I.
>> I. Resolution 26080, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton approving the 2025 through 2029 collective bargaining agreement with the Princeton Policeman's Benevolent Association, Inc. PBA Local 130. Leticia has got the
motion and Leighton's got the second. Questions or comments? Uh, David and then Brian. >> Yeah, just um the dates that you read are different than those shown on our print out of the agenda. So, I just want to >> the correct dates are 2025 to 2029.
>> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Okay. Any other questions or comments? >> All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> I. I'll abstain. >> I'm sorry. >> I abstain. >> Oh, okay. Sorry. Thank you. Michelle abstains from that
>> from that vote. Resolution 26081. Resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton adopting an affordable housing affir affirmative marketing plan for the municipality of Princeton. Leticia has the motion. David has the second. Questions or comments? >> I just want to again thank Ro Jones for
her work on this together with Elaine Clicham, our affordable housing planner, um to bring that up to date and um good work. So, >> any questions or comments other than that? Sorry. Nothing further. All in favor say I. >> I.
>> I. >> Resolution 26082, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton approving utilizing funds from the affordability assistance trust fund for emergency HVAC repairs. Thank you Leighton for the motion. Leticia's got the second.
Questions or comments? All right. Seeing none, all in favor, please say I. >> I. Resolution 26083, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton authorizing a special event for Jazams to hold a 30th block party on Sunday, June 21st, 2026. Michelle has the
motion. Leighton has the second. Questions or comments? >> Are they is that they're 30 years old? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Wow. >> It's hard to believe. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> I think >> Yeah. Brian.
>> Yeah. I just wanted to um say how great it is that Jazams has been here for 30 years and what an amazing part of our community they've been and I doubt there's a child that's grown up in Princeton over the past 30 years that hasn't uh walked through that door.
>> Yeah. >> Okay. All in favor please say I. >> I. >> I. Resolution 26084, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton approving emergency temporary appropriations for the 2026 current fund budget. >> Thank you, David. And Leightton's got
the second. Questions or comments? >> All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Resolution 26085, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton approving emergency temporary appropriations for the 2026 affordable housing utility fund budget. Thank you, Leticia. David's got
the second. Questions or comments? All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Resolution 26086, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton approving emergency temporary appropriations for the 2026 parking utility fund budget. Michelle's got the motion. Leighton's got the second. Questions or comments.
>> All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> I. >> Resolution 26087, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton approving transfers in accordance with NJSA4A 4-59. What's that? >> Thank you. Mia Brian's got the second.
Questions or comments? >> All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Resolution 26088, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton authorizing the execution of a temporary use and occupancy agreement with the Princeton Senior Resource Center, Inc. doing business as Center for Modern Aging, Princeton. David has the motion.
Michelle has the second. Questions or comments? David? Um, I just wanted to note that this is because um they had a pipe burst uh in their farm uh um poor farm road facility uh did a lot of
damage and staff was incredibly responsive and helping them uh relocate to monu their operations or part of their operations to Monument Hall um temporarily while they get things fixed up. So, thank you. Thank you to staff
for helping with that. >> All right. Anything else? All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> I. >> Resolution 26089, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton authorizing an increase of $1,000 to the contract with the Valley Butcher LLC for deer processing services for a new
amount not to exceed $21,625. Brian's got the motion and Michelle's got the second. Thank you very much. Questions or comments? All in favor, please say I. I. >> Resolution 26090, resolution of the
mayor and council of Princeton authorizing release of a performance guarantee in the amount of $29,769 to Nelson Spring LLC for the major site plan of 45 Spring Street. Thank you, Leighton. Michelle's got the second. Questions or comments?
All in favor, please say I. I. Resolution 26091, resolution of the mayor and council of Princeton authorizing the award of a bid contract to Sunset Creations, Inc. for 2026 Spring Tree Planting for an amount not to exceed $65,555.
Brian has the motion. Michelle's got the second. Questions or comments? >> All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> I. Resolution 26096, resolution of the mayor and council of the municipality of Princeton authorizing execution of the first amendment to the Dinky train station parking lot license agreement
with the trustees of Princeton University. Uh, thank you, Michelle. Leighton's got the second. I did not actually read this one. What are we What are we doing on this one? Anybody know? The original agreement dates back to 2013. It's simply an extension of the the exact
agreement. There's 103 spaces at the Dinky Station. and 85 are in the parking uh the transit parking lot. 18 are in the kiss and ride section by Wawwa. >> Thank you. Uh any other questions or comments? All in favor, please say I.
>> I. >> I. >> Consent agenda's got four items on it. If nobody feels the need to pull them out, Leticia is going to move it. Mia is going to second it. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Next up is public comments for items not on the agenda. Ah, there you go. Sorry
to make you wait so long. If you could just say your name and watch the timer. Thank you. >> Um, this should tell you how uh how invested I am in what I'm about to say. Um, that I waited for this this moment. Um, my name is Megan Levenson. Uh, I live at 52 Patton Avenue. I am the
parent of a third grader at Riverside. I am also the co-chair of the bike and pedestrian safety committee. You may have heard from some people from our community recently. Um, I'm here to speak about the intersection of Prospect and Harrison and the safety of the students who cross there on their way to
school. This is admittedly personal for me. My son and I bike or walk to school each morning and cross Harrison, but this is also an area of community concern. Um, in a survey conducted by our PTO bike and pedestrian safety committee last year, this intersection was identified as the most concerning
for our families. It was also identified as a top five intersection of concerned by families in the broader PTOC survey that was conducted last May. This is understandable as this busy intersection is part of the daily path for many of Princeton's children. It sits on a key
route for students walking and biking east to Riverside as well as students heading west to Princeton Middle School and Princeton High School. It is also used by families who are traveling to the UNOW daycare. Last March, we documented activity at the intersection of three school mornings in March
between 7:40 uh and 8:30 a.m. So, I can give you an idea of the traffic. There was an average of 65 crossings in that time frame, 18 of which were made by children. As many students as we see crossing now, there could be many more. According to data from Riverside School,
we have 96 families who live west of Harrison. We have heard from a number of parents, and I think you have heard this as well, that they stopped allowing their children to walk or bike to school when the crossing guard was removed a few years ago because the intersection simply felt too dangerous. That's a loss
for our kids. It's a loss for our community, and it's a loss for the town's goals around safe and sustainable transportation. As I understand it, the town's position has been that traffic light, a traffic light makes a crossing guard unnecessary. But the reality on the ground tells a different story. There is
no delayed green at this light to give pedestrians a head start. There are no restrictions on right turns. Drivers are often focused on beating the light or turning quickly. And children, especially our younger students, they are small, they are unpredictable, and
they are not always visible to turning vehicles. A green light simply does not equal a safe crossing. We're asking the council to take a close look at this intersection and consider steps that would make it safer for the many students and families who rely on it
every morning. Thank you for your time and for your commitment to keeping our children safe. >> Thank you very much. >> Okay, anybody else with a public comment? >> Uh, anybody on Zoom with a public
comment? >> All right, seeing none. I move to adjourn. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Sure. >> Thank you, Brian. All in favor say I. >> I. I. >> We covered a lot tonight. Thank you all. Wow.