The developer proposing a two-lot subdivision on the corner of Jefferson and Cuyler roads will be back in front of the Princeton Planning Board at a special meeting June 25.
Applicant Estate Shore LLC was scheduled to appear before the Planning Board at a special meeting June 6, but the meeting was canceled because of inadequate public notice.
The applicant expected to present a tweaked plan for the proposed subdivision. The revisions were made in response to comments at the Planning Board’s April 18 meeting, when the application was unveiled.
The application still calls for subdividing the existing .46-acre lot into two lots of .23 acres each – less than the minimum lot size of .25 acres for new single-family homes.
The two houses – one on each new lot – would replace the existing 1,200-square-foot house at 479 Jefferson Road. The original plan called for the two houses to face Cuyler Road, but it was suggested at the April 18 meeting to re-orient one of the houses to face Jefferson Road.
The proposed subdivision has been revised so that one house would face Jefferson Road and the other house would face Cuyler Road, per the comments at the earlier Planning Board meeting.
Variances for the minimum lot size are still required. The revised application seeks a variance for the front-year setback on Cuyler Road from the required 34 feet to 26.8 feet.
Reaction to the application was mixed when it was the public’s term to speak at the April 18 Planning Board meeting.
The applicant’s planner justified the smaller lot sizes, citing the new Princeton Community Master Plan – particularly the need to provide for “missing middle” housing.
“Easing zoning restrictions, increasing flexibility to create accessory dwelling units and building single-family homes on undersized lots are among the strategies to develop missing middle housing,” planner Barbara Ehlen said.
When it was the public’s turn to speak at the April meeting, the reaction was mixed. Most of the speakers objected to the application, but some supported it.
One speaker said that building two houses would allow one more family to move to Princeton, while other speakers pointed out that the new houses probably would not be affordable to middle-income households. The new houses likely would be priced at $1.5 million to $2 million, they said.
