Volume LXXVI, Number 34
Volunteers Sought for Fifth Annual Delaware River Cleanup . . . . . . . 5 Witherspoon Street Design to Be Discussed At W-J Neighborhood Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . 9 People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos Celebrates 50 Years . . . . . . . . . . 10 “All Paris” — The View From Balzac’s Grave . 15 PU Women’s Soccer Kicking Off 2022 Campaign by Hosting Colgate on Friday . . . 25 Legendary PU Men’s Hoops Coach Carril Leaving Legacy of Unforgettable Life Lessons . . . . . . . . .26
Anthony Famiglietti Looking to Star as PHS Football Starts Season On Friday . . . . . . . . 29 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Back to School . . . .22, 23 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 21 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 33 Healthy Living . . . . . . . 18,19 Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . 14 New To Us . . . . . . . . . 24 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 31 Performing Arts . . . . . 16 Police Blotter . . . . . . . 10 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 33 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Spotlight on Montgomery . . 2 Topics of the Town . . . . 5 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . 6
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Monkeypox, COVID Create Challenges For Health Officials With COVID-19 case numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths declining and monkeypox infections low in Mercer County, Princeton residents might be tempted to relax, or at least take a deep breath. The Princeton Board of Health (BOH) is not recommending that. “It’s great that we don’t have a lot of cases right now,” said BOH Chair George DiFerdinando regarding the monkeypox virus, “but this is a long haul situation where we’re going to be focusing on vaccinations and messaging on how to prevent exposure.” He pointed out that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) are preparing a long-term vaccination effort. “The planning is for a longer-term problem, not just for one season,” he said. “There’s a need for a sustained response.” Since monkeypox has a three-week incubation period, case numbers need to be looked at from month to month rather than week to week, he added. The first case of monkeypox in New Jersey was reported on June 18 this year, and, as of Tuesday, August 23, the state had 441 cases, mostly in northern counties bordering New York City, which has the highest case numbers in the country. Mercer County on Monday reported a total of 13 cases. Monkeypox can cause flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that often begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. It is rarely fatal but can be very painful. The vast majority of people infected with monkeypox in this country are men who have sex with men, but health officials warn that monkeypox can infect anyone, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. The monkeypox vaccine, though limited in supply, is available to high-risk New Jerseyans and those who think they have been exposed to the virus. Further information on the virus and vaccines is available on the NJDOH website at nj.gov/health. In commenting on the monkeypox health emergency, DiFerdinando cited areas where the health officials’ response has been informed by lessons learned 40 years ago in the HIV/AIDS crisis. “In the early years of the HIV epidemic there Continued on Page 12
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Wednesday, August 24, 2022
Council Adopts Housing Development Ordinances Following a presentation on financial agreements related to two inclusionary housing developments at Princeton Shopping Center, Princeton Council voted at its meeting Monday to adopt four ordinances having to do with the issuance of bonds for public improvements, an easement agreement, and PILOTs (payments in lieu of taxes). The ordinances, which were introduced by Council at its last meeting, are for the 125-unit The Alice Princeton, at Harrison Street and Terhune Road, which will have 25 set aside as affordable housing; and the 200-unit AvalonBay Princeton Shopping Center project, at the southern end of the center, which will have 40 designated affordable (including four group home units). Council also approved redevelopment agreements for the two projects at its last meeting. The two projects are part of Princeton’s court-mandated affordable housing obligations. Winn Companies is developing The Alice, which will include such public amenities as a neighborhood public park on Terhune Road with a native plantings garden, walking and cycling paths, a tot lot, dog park, and bike racks. The AvalonBay development includes a $1.2 million contribution for upgrades to Grover Park, and a $500,000 contribution to support the Municipal Sustainable Transportation Fund. Princeton’s affordable housing attorney Kevin van Hise outlined the redevelopment
process, with details on how the site was designated as an Area in Need of Redevelopment. Focusing on the PILOTS associated with the projects, he said there is a misconception that they are a windfall for developers. “Since PILOTs are based upon a percentage of revenue, the agreements have a provision prohibiting excess profits,” he said. “The developers must submit audited financial statements annually to confirm compliance.” The presentation, which is available on
the website princetonnj.gov, reads, “In lieu of paying property taxes on the improvements created by the project, the redeveloper makes annual service charges known as ‘payments in lieu of taxes’ or ‘PILOTs,’ which are based on a percentage of annual rental income generated from the project. As rental income increases, the payments made to the municipality increase.” According to the presentation, the firstyear PILOT is estimated at $792,413 with Continued on Page 8
New Climate Law Provides Boost To Sustainable Princeton Initiatives The largest investment to combat climate change in the history of the United States passed Congress and was signed into law last week, bringing with it initiatives to help cut carbon emissions, increase the use of electric vehicles, boost the use of solar and wind power, and speed the development of newer, cleaner energy sources. “The bill really helps communities like Princeton accelerate their efforts to pursue their mission in our built environment and in the transportation sector,” said Christine Symington, executive director of Sustainable Princeton. A Sustainable Princeton press release pointed out that the landmark bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, offers a variety of incentives to help consumers reduce energy and utility bills, including
incentives for electric and other energyefficient appliances, clean vehicles, and rooftop solar panels. It also prioritizes lower-income households and disadvantaged communities. The release highlighted the areas of electrification of building energy systems; increasing the adoption of low-carbon, onsite power generation; and expanding access to zero-emission vehicles as three specific elements of the bill that will help Princeton to meet the goals of its Climate Action Plan, which was adopted in 2019. Princeton has set the target of an 80 percent reduction in emissions by 2050. “This bill is going to make it so much easier to achieve the goals that the community has for reducing our emissions in order to avoid the worst effects of climate Continued on Page 11
SCHOOL DAYS AHEAD: Colross, a Georgian-style mansion built around 1800 in Alexandria, Va., was dismantled and moved circa 1930 to Princeton where it now serves as the administration building at Princeton Day School on Great Road. Area students share what they are looking forward to this school year in this week’s Town Talk on page 6. (Photo by Charles R. Plohn)