1996 MASTER PLAN OVERVIEW
For the first time in our history, Princeton is facing a shortage of vacant, easily developable
land. This shortage has already begun to show itself in increased competition among a
variety of social issues over the future use of the remaining undeveloped land for a variety
of social uses. The debate over sites for affordable housing, senior housing as well as the
development of parks and schools is just the beginning of a series of increasingly difficult
choices that the Princetons must make between competing social goals. This document
provides the opportunity to identify necessary community facilities and plan for them.
One of the major purposes of this Master Plan is to express community goals for the use of Princeton's
land and facilities. Guided by a broad community consensus, these goals include: meeting the community's
affordable housing obligation, providing for our educational needs, preserving open space, developing
adequate recreation facilities, preservation of historic buildings and sites, and retaining Princeton's small
town atmosphere. The master plan also seeks to preserve the existing character, mix, and densities of
commercial, residential, and other land uses in Princeton.
The Master Plan consists of eight separate elements and represents the Princeton community's strategic plan
for development into the next century. The Master Plan is written so that each of the elements complement
one another providing a concise picture of how the community will grow.
The Land Use Element recognizes the fact that most of land in Princeton has been developed
and that there will be competing uses for the remaining lands. Specific recommendations
include providing opportunities for senior housing, maintaining existing commercial areas,
preserving the character of established neighborhoods and ensuring that redevelopment and
new development is in character with existing neighborhoods. Specific zoning changes
include:
Creating a very low residential density (10 acre lot) for two areas severely constrained by
environmental features.
Developing overlay zones for high-density, age-restricted housing
Revising conditional use standards to regulate nonprofit institutions in the downtown
area.
Princeton has a long history of affirmative efforts toward the provision of affordable housing. The
Housing Element contains the Affordable Housing Plan for both the Borough and
Township. The Borough's plan provides for the rehabilitation of 25 low and
moderate income units. The Township's plan provides for the rehabilitation of 50 low
and moderate income units in Princeton and 23 new affordable units which will be
met in the City of Trenton. During the previous six-year cycle the Borough provided
12 units of new affordable housing and the Township provided 181 new affordable
housing units. Both communities remain committed to providing affordable housing
and have included additional sites which may yield additional affordable housing.
The Circulation Element includes three distinct categories of mobility problems: internal
circulation, regional circulation, and interstate/inter-regional circulation. Internal
circulation addresses the mobility needs of Princeton residents and how they get to work,
shopping, recreational and cultural areas within Princeton. Regional circulation addresses
the mobility needs of those people who have one trip-end in Princeton; whether they are
residents, employees, customers or persons utilizing Princeton's educational, cultural or recreational facilities. Interstate/inter-regional circulation addresses the mobility needs of
those people whose final destination is not in Princeton but who pass through the town.
The circulation element suggests strategies to increase the use of mass transit and to
encourage bicycles and pedestrian mobility.
Providing adequate infrastructure to meet the needs of the Princeton community without
adversely affecting the environment or quality of life in Princeton remains the underlying
policy in the Utility Service Element. The location of new utilities or expanded facilities are
planned so as to guide growth to appropriate areas of the community. Utility expansions are
based upon changing demands and environmental considerations.
The Princeton community is served by a comprehensive system of municipal services which
include public utilities, police and fire protection, emergency services, the public library,
public health, public school system and recreational and cultural facilities. The goals of the
Community Facilities Element includes: encourage the provision of convenient well-located
community facilities; provide adequate municipal facilities for the efficient operation of the
community; plan community facilities to serve the needs of all age groups; and, coordinate
construction and installation of improvements as part of a comprehensive capital plan. The
Community Facilities Element recommends that these facilities be well planned and well
designed to ensure their integration into existing neighborhoods. This element also identifies
the importance that the arts play in the visual quality and character of the community.
The need to preserve open space, create linkages between open spaces and to provide for a
comprehensive plan for parks is more urgent now than in past if the community is to meet
its goal of preserving 25 percent of the land area in Princeton as open space. The Open
Space and Recreation Element identifies and prioritizes sites to be preserved for passive
recreation and sites to be developed for active recreation.
The Historic Preservation Element promotes and encourages the preservation and
enhancement of building, structures and areas of historic value that reflect the cultural, social,
economic and architectural history of Princeton. There are 19 identified historic districts in
the Princeton community.
The Conservation Element seeks to preserve Princeton's natural and visual amenities. These
include: critical environmental features such as steep slopes, waterway corridors, floodplains
and wetlands; resources with exceptional community value including both man-made and
natural visual resources and scenic corridors; and special environmental areas such as The
Ridge, Delaware and Raritan Canal, and Lake Carnegie.
Princeton Regional Planning Board Master Plan Index