Princeton is calling a timeout on new residential development to address infrastructure and public safety concerns driven by the city’s unprecedented growth.
On Monday, the Princeton City Council voted 6-0 to temporarily halt the acceptance, authorization and approvals of permits needed for residential property development within the city and its extraterritorial jurisdiction, or ETJ.
The moratorium does not affect projects that are under development or have been approved by the city council.
Under the ordinance, developers are allowed to request a waiver from the moratorium, and requests will be determined by the city council on a case-by-case basis.
The heads of the city’s public safety and public works departments described how the growth impacted services at a special called council meeting last week.
At a Sept. 12 meeting, Tommy Mapp, director of public works, said the city previously estimated the maximum number of water connections in five years. That number is now closer to three, Mapp said.
“We are quickly outgrowing and growing at a more rapid pace than what we accounted for in our capital improvement and impact fee studies we’ve done previously,” Mapp told council members.
City staff are also planning to reevaluate its roadways to address congestion and safety, Mapp said.
“With the moratorium, we’re looking for a bit of breathing room,” Mapp said.
According to a city staff presentation, the police department needs to hire about 30 more officers to account for the growth. The department currently has 40 officers.
Princeton is among the fastest-growing cities in the country, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau data. Between 2017 and 2022, Princeton’s population grew from about 8,900 to nearly 18,500, data showed.
Mayor Brianna Chacón said she has seen a need for the city to take a step back and review its development standards since she first took office in 2020.
“Remember, that’s when COVID hit, so as COVID rocked the world, I think one of the unexpected side effects of that was housing,” she said. “All the interest rates dropped, builders were just stamping out houses as fast as they could and, because of the low interest rate, buyers took advantage of that.”
The moratorium is effective for 120 days and can be renewed.
“During this time, we’re able to really go in and look at our ordinances to see how our policies and our ordinances line up with what the actual vision of the city and what the vision of the council is,” Chacón said.
The temporary halt will give city staff time to plan for infrastructure and public safety improvements, but she does not expect all of the concerns to be resolved within the 120-day period, she added.
It could also free up city staff to focus on commercial developments, Chacón said.
“I think there actually will be a healthy shift over to the commercial side,” she said.
The school district is also dealing with the population boom.
In an emailed statement, Princeton ISD Superintendent Donald McIntyre said the current rate of growth could lead to the district considering new school campuses earlier than previously planned.
The district’s enrollment is 330 students over previous projections, McIntyre wrote, adding that the district grew by more than 1,264 students in the past year.
To account for that growth, the school district opened two new elementary schools this year and added a new wing to its high school campus.
“With a continuous increase in numbers at this pace, we would have to consider our options, such as escalating our build schedule and possibly opening two elementary campuses at the same time,” McIntyre’s email read.
