Don’t be surprised if Princeton Council (with Princeton University in the wings) discusses rezoning the portion of Alexander Road just below the new arts and transit development. The area is now zoned for service businesses — when the university purchased the old Larini gas station, for example, it replaced it with a rental car operation. But as one of the key “gateways” to Princeton, it could be used for a lot more than that.
How about a hotel, for example?
That possibility has been referenced in the university’s recently released 10-year planning document detailing how it intends to expand to its land across Carnegie Lake. Referring to Alexander Road, the report said, “if rezoned for residential mixed-use, the corridor could be developed in a manner that included housing of various kinds, along with some mix of retail, office, innovation partnership and convening space, potentially a hotel and other uses of interest to the community and the university.”
“Such a redevelopment of this corridor,” the report continued, “could significantly enhance the streetscape and create an attractive gateway to town and campus.”
Zoning board updates
The Zoning Board approved all applications heard at its December 13 meeting.
30 Southern Way, Frances Parker, owner, Ronald Levine, applicant. C2 variances to permit the replacement of an existing air conditioner in exception to the required setback.
88 Valley Road, Kirsten Thoft and Ted Nadeau, owners/applicants. C1/C2 variance to permit construction of a new single family house in exception to the required lot frontage, lot width, and prevailing front yard setback.
The property is next door to 82 Valley Road, which was torn down by Thoft, an architect, and replaced by an energy-efficient house currently under construction.
52 Knoll Drive, Howard Zagorin, owner/applicant. C1 variance to permit construction of a new single family house on a non-conforming lot.
