November 4, 2013
Mr. Tom Daly
Chairman, Princeton Planning Board
The Planning Board proposed zoning change along Worcester road south of Post Office Place has been of great interest to the residents of Wildwood Acres in particular, but to the other neighborhoods as well. I would like to inform you of our thoughts, actions and intentions.
It should be of no surprise that many of the Wildwood Acres residents are not happy with the Planning Board and very concerned about a possible business, especially a construction business, at the entrance to their residential development. Consensus is they want residential zoning along Worcester Road up to Post Office Place. Several of us have either called or met with selectmen and others outside of the immediate area. I have had people from other parts of town approach me at the Big Y to talk about this issue. My informal survey of neighbors and others in the community finds substantial support for keeping the Worcester Road entrance to Princeton as attractive as possible. To that end, the desire is to restrict business development between Post Office Place and the light department.
Post Office Place has established a natural business/residential boundary. On the west side of Worcester Road, south, residential properties abut Post Office Place. On the east, the most likely use of the opposite vacant 20 acre lot will be as homes. With homes on that lot and no other changes, Worcester Road would be completely residential south of Post Office Place. Currently there is not a single business in the area other than home occupations. This includes the Conway property, which the Planning Board’s proposal has singled out for change in what is otherwise an entirely residential area.
Princeton's modest infrastructure and demographics in combination with the vacant space in the Photo Panels area and Post Office Place and the potential to expand business development in the acreage behind Photo Panels obviate any need for business use south of Post Office Place as far as one can reasonably see in the future. Creating a specific business area such as this conforms to the Master Plan and alleviates the mix of business and residential as found in some neighboring towns.
Therefore, we will submit a warrant article for residential zoning up to Post Office Place and work hard to ensure its passage. We will have enough support to request a paper ballot. We feel its chances are good. Our article will have the support of many residents across town and we feel it will be in the best interests of Princeton. Our article will be in agreement with the Master Plan, the Vera Kolias report, the 2011 Planning Board proposed bylaw change and most importantly, the wishes of many residents in and outside of the immediate area. It will prevent business development on the 20 acre lot on Worcester Road. In fact, I believe the warrant article will be the same warrant article the Planning Board proposed in 2011 as far as existing homes go.
We would like to work together with the planning board to pass this article which has the support of many residents, has excellent chance of passage and will be in the best interests of Princeton. However, we are prepared to go it alone if necessary.
Cal Calamari
18 Hickory Drive, Princeton, MA
978-464-1140
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
JON FUDEMAN
224 Worcester Road
Princeton, MA 01541
To: Members of the Princeton Planning Board November 5, 2013
I have recused myself in the Worcester Road matter but would like to share my thoughts as a resident.
I believe that regulating a Princeton business zone is difficult for two reasons many towns do not face. First, in Princeton homes are permitted in a business zone. As the Master Plan recognizes: Princeton has experienced very little nonresidential growth...... Land that Princeton has zoned for business has attracted more residential than nonresidential investment. (Land Use Element - Page 12). Second, Princeton as a town opposes business development. Again from the Master Plan: It is clear that most residents participating in the Master Plan process do not want to encourage
“commercialization. (Economic Development Plan - Page 128). This last point follows from an overarching theme of our Master Plan, i.e., to keep Princeton beautiful.
The Master Plan addresses land use and zoning with some rather clear and specific observations:
#1 - Land Use Element - Page 31
Commercial districts are not the same as residential districts; businesses do not thrive on invisibility. If left to their own devices, they often gain visibility to the street in ways that detract from the character of a traditional New England village and intrude on adjacent neighborhoods.
Where some additional depth is possible, such as portions of Worcester Road, it makes sense to alter the district’s boundaries because doing so will promote better building lots and better design. In exchange for additional depth, the length of a “strip” district should be reduced in order to manage the overall amount of development that occurs in a business area.
#2 - Land Use Element - Page 28
A particularly disturbing aspect of Princeton’s site plan by-law is its omission of standards and review criteria. ........... There are also no standards or development regulations to guide applicants and their design teams.
If the 20 acre/920 feet lot across from Post Office Place remains in the business zone there are good odds that within a generation or two it will be built out as business, and perhaps a lot sooner. It is the only access road to Princeton from the south. Individuals may prefer being off a road but businesses want to be on one. Except for one home (Sandstrom), all others south of Post Office Place on the west side and south of Hickory Drive on the east side are smaller, nonconforming lots. Economic factors will prevent business development there far into the future. The odds of someone buying two homes and tearing them down to build a commercial building are pretty slim. Therefore, removing this area from business zoning, as the Planning Board proposes, does little to change the "strip" district and preserve Worcester Road,
Princeton's southern gateway.
Not so with the 20 acre/920 feet lot. The nonconforming lot constraint (preventing homes and business to mix and abut further south) will not apply. It is virgin land. It is prime business land. Extending the business zone back 800 feet to push business development off of Worcester road is commendable but will be of little consequence if Worcester road is left wide open for business.
I predict that if no change occurs Worcester Road will eventually be business on both sides similar to Holden today. However, if the 20 acre/920 feet lot is taken out of the business zone, there will be a real incentive to develop small businesses in the Jacobson land area and in back of it. This will lead to the development of an off-road village, reduce the scope of a business strip on the southern approach to Princeton, and avoid conflicts between home and business owners.
There is no apparent advantage to Princeton with business zoning for the 20 acre/920 feet lot. The planned 800 foot deep business zone on the west side of Worcester Road has sufficient area to cover Princeton's (population 3,534) needs for a long time. There has been no net business development in this area in almost 30 years except a few home occupations and there is plenty of empty business space available in the buildings belonging to Bob Mason and Bruce Jacobson. In addition there is a lot of undeveloped land off Worcester Road to the west and extending to the north which could be used for business expansion should the need occur.
In addition to business zone borders, the Board is also addressing design standards. I would like standards to address, as far as reasonably possible, neighborhood impact. Unfortunately, I cannot comment on to what extent a zoning bylaw can address the actual operation of a business and thereby neighborhood impact. I suspect it may be very limited. However, this impact concept is especially important to Princeton because our zoning districts permit residential/business mixed use. Up until now there has been minimal conflict because in the business zone south of Post Office Place almost all house lots are under 2 acres, i.e., are nonconforming, and the several house lots that are larger (excepting one) are either under 4 acres or under 450 foot of road frontage. Therefore, the conforming lots cannot accommodate both a business
and a residence. We can expect that in the future though, and assuming residential use will still be permitted in a business zone, that businesses will locate near homes and conflicts will arise. New lots from subdivided larger land tracts will be conforming. Clear impact considerations would be helpful in these cases.
Our current business use by-law protects primarily by use limitations. This can be problematic in its present form. For example, in the Worcester Road business zone a small wholesale distributor would not meet the statutory requirements, but a huge retail establishment would, regardless of neighborhood impact. I therefore would ask the Board to consider ways to limit the adverse impact of business development on both nearby homes and the southern approach to Princeton, Worcester Road. One thought I had would be to divide the business zone, whatever shape it comes to be, into two areas. One would be along Worcester Road and/or abuting a home. Here business use could be limited to say very low impact businesses such as professional offices and "quiet" retail. The second area would be off Worcester Road and could allow other
business activity currently permitted in the business zone.
In summary, I believe that in the best interests of Princeton the Planning Board should remove business zoning on the west side of Worcester Rd up to Post Office Place and on the east side up to and including the 20 acre/920 feet lot and to incorporate neighborhood impact, to the extent within its powers, in its revised design standards.
Jon Fudeman
| 
