Zoning board grants Princeton University one-year extension for William Street renovations

The Princeton Zoning Board of Adjustment granted a one-year extension on April 23 to the Trustees of Princeton University for zoning relief previously approved for 58–60 William Street.

The extension moves the deadline referenced in resolution Z24-484 from its prior expiration to Sept. 6, 2026, and was requested so the university can complete compliance reviews, coordinate with a neighboring homeowners association and assemble a construction team before filing for a building permit.

Derek Bridger, board staff, summarized the history: the board approved variances at its June 26, 2024 meeting, memorialized by resolution Z24-484 on Aug. 28, 2024 and published in the Princeton Packet on Sept. 6, 2024. Bridger told the board the applicant asked for a one-year extension under the ordinance cited in the staff memo: "Section b 17 a 2 13 permits the board to grant 1 12 month extension of variances for good cause shown."

Christopher DeGresia, attorney for the trustees of Princeton University, said the project has additional neighbor meetings to resolve concerns and that the municipality’s ordinance limits a holder’s rights if a construction permit is not secured within a year of the approval. "There’s about 4 and a half months left, so we feel that it would be very reasonable to extend it to 09/06/2026 to allow us to kind of go through, all of the steps we need to to bring this," DeGresia said.

Board members had no public speakers on the item. A motion to approve the one-year extension passed on a roll-call vote recorded as: Miss Colson (yes); Mister Floyd (yes); Mister Stein (yes); Miss Duncan (yes); Chairman Cohen (yes).

The board did not attach additional conditions to the extension beyond standard compliance review; staff noted the applicant had completed required noticing.