Zoning and Land Use Reform

The simplest way to promote a more diverse and more affordable housing stock along with a more walkable community with a lower carbon footprint is to permit it and make it feasible in the first place. This requires addressing a number of current barriers, including:

• Permitting higher densities throughout the municipality, particularly in areas with access to public transit and necessary infrastructure
• Reducing or eliminating minimum parking requirements
• Relaxing of single-family zoning restrictions, setback requirements, floor area ratios, and minimum lots sizes
• Increasing building height limits, particularly within the Princeton downtown/central business district

Redeveloping vacant and underutilized land in already-developed areas of the municipality to accommodate more environmentally sustainable forms of housing is the smartest and most responsible way to facilitate equitable growth in Princeton. This should include:

• Making more efficient use of large residential lots that could accommodate additional dwellings through the promotion of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and other housing arrangements
• Developing multi-family housing on currently vacant and underutilized parcels in already-developed areas of the municipality such as
  • The Butler Tract
  • Surface parking lots (e.g., Park Place parking lot)
  • Westminster Choir College campus
  • Lower Alexander St.
    
    

We should be doing everything we can to facilitate much-needed below-market rate housing development, including:

• Ambitious inclusionary zoning incentives like density bonuses to make affordable housing development less costly
• Streamlining permitting and approval processes
• Lowering land costs by developing affordable housing on parcels owned by the municipality or key community partners
• Coordination with key community partners and stakeholders