Letter to Town Topics May 8th, 2019.
Open Letter to Princeton:
I believe, along with many of our longtime residents, that decisions made over the next five years in Princeton, will set the foundation for life here in the next 50 years. This was the impetus for my decision to run for Princeton Council, and my focus as a councilperson will be proactive planning for Princeton.
Successful planning requires maximum public participation; conversely, an inability to achieve public consensus about the future of a community is a fundamental reason why planning fails. The central challenge we face is how, in collaboration with our key institutional stakeholders, we can retain the cultural and economic diversity that has long defined our community.
To that end, I propose the following:
Convening a public process, for a comprehensive review and update of our Master Plan that reflects a consolidated, united Princeton. For those not familiar with a Master Plan, it is the mechanism by which community values and goals are translated into land use and development principles. The updated policies of our Master Plan will provide a much-needed guide for municipal decision makers as we navigate the consequences of growth in Princeton and the communities around us.
Additionally, I propose the inclusion of a new element to Princeton’s Master Plan focused on economic development. Genuine, lasting economic health for our town requires planning for and balancing the needs of all sectors: housing, transportation, and schools, as well as our central business district.
In recent years, I have been deeply involved in the development of a Climate Action Plan for Princeton. The format of this process, which engaged all major stakeholders in the town, is ideally suited for producing a long-overdue Economic Development Plan for Princeton. Setting in motion the process for charting our community’s shared economic future will be a top priority for me on Council.
My years of service to Princeton have left me well-grounded in the challenges we face, and my professional background in the nonprofit sector has prepared me to function effectively at the intersection of law and public policy.
My candidacy represents a bridge between the investment of my grandparents in this community, to the benefits that both my mother’s and my generation received, to my willingness to work with you in planning our shared future.
I look forward to working together with you, my community, for a Princeton in which we can afford to remain and our grown children will want to return.
Mia Sacks
Democrat For Princeton Council Terhune Road