Princeton Forum to Address Bill to Exempt Universities from Local Zoning

Princeton Borough Mayor Yina Moore and Borough Council will hold a town forum during its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday to address concern about an Assembly bill that would exempt colleges and universities- including Princeton University from local zoning laws. 

The meeting will begin Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. in Borough Hall, 1 Monument Drive. 

A2586 would exempt private universities and colleges from land use law – allowing them to construct projects without zoning constraints or review by local planning boards.Both Princeton Township and Princeton Borough have passed resolutions opposing the bill. The bill’s counterpart in the Senate, S1534, has passed.

Invited speakers at the forum include Michael Cerra, Sr. Legislative Analyst, New Jersey League of Municipalities; and Charles Latini, Jr., AICP, President, American Planning Association – NJ Chapter, as well as a number of mayors, experts and other officials. 

The public is invited to attend to ask questions and offer comments.

The format will be divided into four segments - short prepared remarks by speakers, statements by a panel of representatives from impacted communities, and questions from the audience concluding with drafting of an action plan to more vigorously oppose the legislation.  

“Our most powerful institutions, already tax exempt from property taxes, want to enjoy further exemptions while the communities in which they reside must provide and finance enhanced services to meet the demands for services their development generates," Moore wrote in a release. "While we share an interest in ensuring that our town is a wonderful place to live for all of our citizens, without zoning and development oversight, much of our future sustainability would be left at the whim of these private entities."

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