Princeton Board Weighs 98-Apartment Development

The Princeton Planning Board will review a proposal to redevelop a one-acre lot at 245-247 Nassau Street on November 5. The applicant, Hopewell-based 245 Nassau, LLC, seeks approval to construct a mixed-use building behind Jay’s Cycle store. The design includes ground-floor retail, off-street residential parking, and 98 apartment units above the street level.

Application documents detail the residential component of the project. The development will feature 18 studios, 44 one-bedroom units, 25 two-bedroom units, and 8 three-bedroom units. Of the total housing stock, 19 units are designated as affordable. Access to the 98-car subterranean garage, the 980-square-foot retail space, and the residential lobby will be located off Nassau Street. Amenities include a 1,620-square-foot fitness center, a common living area, a coworking space, a pet spa, and an outdoor elevated courtyard. The building will also incorporate an 11,500-square-foot green roof.

The site plan requires the removal of approximately 86 trees, a figure that has drawn attention from board consultants and city commissions. Dan Dobromilsky, a consultant for the board, identified the loss of a 54-inch Ginkgo tree as a primary concern. The tree has stood in Princeton for approximately 150 years. Although Dobromilsky noted that the tree shows signs of damage from prior construction, he acknowledged that the removal remains a substantial issue. He also observed that more than half of the trees on the site are exotic invasive species, such as Norway maple and Tree of Heaven.

Reviews from the Princeton Shade Tree Commission and the Princeton Environmental Commission expressed similar concerns. Both reports stated that removing the existing trees contradicts the town's goal of preserving and expanding the municipal tree canopy. The commissions suggested reconfiguring the building to reduce its impact on the neighborhood's vegetation. Mark Cifelli, the civil engineer for the application from PS&S, stated that the applicant will plant 108 replacement trees to satisfy municipal code. Forty-six of these will be placed along the western side of the building and on the green roof. The remaining trees will be planted off-site, with the developer paying into the municipal tree fund for any additional units required.

Mayor Mark Freda questioned the replacement ratio during the meeting. He stated that replacing a 54-inch diameter tree with four two-and-a-half-inch diameter trees does not align with the ordinance's intent. "I just don’t get it," Freda said. "There is just no way that that is in any way correct, right, or what should be done here." Board member Claudia Wilson Anderson proposed a condition requiring that removed deciduous trees be replaced with deciduous trees off-site, rather than evergreen trees used as roof buffers.

Chairwoman Louise Wilson suggested that the developer attempt to preserve the existing trees on the lot and plant replacements within the same neighborhood. The planning board may approve the application with additional conditions attached to the final decision.