DRCC #: 21-2441DD DATE: March 10, 2021 PROJECT NAME: Princeton University East Campus Garage Latest Submission Received: March 10, 2021
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STAFF REPORT PLEASE REFER TO DRCC # WHEN SUBMITTING ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS DRCC #: 21-2441DD DATE: March 10, 2021 PROJECT NAME: Princeton University East Campus Garage Latest Submission Received: March 10, 2021 Applicant: Engineer: Trustees of Princeton University Chris Longo, P.E. Office of Capital Projects Vanesse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. E.A. MacMillan Building One Penn Plaza, Suite 715 Princeton, NJ 08544 New York, New York 10119 [email protected] [email protected] Project Location: Road Municipality County Block(s) Lot(s) Fitzrandolph and Faculty Municipality of Mercer 50.01 18 Roads Princeton Jurisdictional Determination: Zone B Major Nongovernmental Subject to Review for: Drainage Visual Traffic Stream Corridors X X THIS STAFF REPORT IS ISSUED AS A GUIDE TO APPLICANTS IN COMPLYING WITH DRCC REGULATIONS. IT IS NOT AN APPROVAL. NO CONSTRUCTION SHALL BEGIN UNTIL A CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL HAS BEEN ISSUED. PO BOX 539 STOCKTON, NJ 08559 609-397-2000 www.nj.gov/dep/drcc/ DRCC #: 21-2441DD 2 DATE: March 10, 2021 PROJECT NAME: Princeton University East Campus Garage Documents Received: Site Plans; Stormwater Management Report dated November 19, 2020; prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.; East Campus Development Traffic Impact Study (62 pages) dated March 3, 2020, prepared by BFJ Planning. The application is complete and shall be presented to the Commission for their action with a staff recommendation of approval at the March 17, 2021 meeting, based upon the following analysis: Existing Conditions: This site is part of the existing Princeton University campus which is located north of Faculty Road and west of Fitzrandolph Road in the Municipality of Princeton, Mercer County, approximately 1,150 feet north of the Delaware and Raritan Canal and within the Commission Review Zone B. The site is bound to the north by Ivy Lane/Western Way, to the east by Fitzrandolph Road, to the south by Faculty Road, and to the west by DeNunzio Pool, Caldwell Fieldhouse, and Princeton Stadium. The site is currently occupied by a paved, lighted parking lot (Lot 21); the East and West Elementary Particle Labs; vehicular and pedestrian access ways to parking and the campus; a tum-around and drop-off area fronting DeNunzio Pool; and trees/wooded areas. Proposed Project: The applicant proposes to construct a structured parking garage in the location of the existing Parking Lot 21. This project involves the first major site plan related to a phased East Campus Entry development that will transform an area of campus located east of Princeton Stadium and Jadwin Gym. The East Campus development will meet strategic priorities of Princeton University, create a gateway for those arriving to the campus, provide for the expansion of athletic uses in close proximity to other existing athletic venues, and increase connectivity to and through the site with new pathways and roadways for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. The East Campus Garage will occupy the eastern portion of the existing Parking Lot 21 surface parking area, as well as the site of the existing Elementary Particle Lab East. The applicant notes that the design of the garage has been carefully integrated into the campus context, circulation, landscape, and infrastructure networks to enhance the distinctive DRCC #: 21-2441DD 3 DATE: March 10, 2021 PROJECT NAME: Princeton University East Campus Garage sense of place and arrival experience. They also notes that the garage will supports the university’s shift toward more sustainable modes of transportation, such as mass transit, carpooling, walking, cycling, and the university’s transportation demand management (TDM) programs and policies. The applicant’s submission further notes that the proposed garage is designed to facilitate seamless use of the “TigerTransit” bus service, providing an indoor waiting room and amenities for transit users. The design includes a covered bike storage facility for the private bicycles of faculty, students and visitors as well as dedicated space to accommodate shared bicycles. The garage integrates sustainable design strategies and approaches to meet the requirements of the Parksmart certification program (an international program that defines, measures and recognizes high-performing, sustainable garages) and will contribute to achieving the university’s institutional performance targets. The garage has also been designed to accommodate a rooftop solar installation. (Rendering of Proposed East Campus Garage) The proposed structure would be comprised of 6 tiers with slab-on-grade, below-grade ground level and 5 structured levels equaling approximately 64-feet tall on the south and approximately 52-feet tall on the north. The dimensions of the garage are 244 feet wide by 338 feet long, resulting in a footprint of approximately 82,500 square feet. The proposed design provides parking for visitors, faculty, staff and graduate students totaling 1,552 spaces. The garage is accessed at two levels: the lower level is entered at the southwest corner from Garage Drive, and the transit level is entered at the northeast corner from the new Jadwin Drive. A third access point at the southeast provides the ability to exit to Fitzrandolph Road and can be used to provide flexibility during peak periods or for events. DRCC #: 21-2441DD 4 DATE: March 10, 2021 PROJECT NAME: Princeton University East Campus Garage Several circulation improvements are also proposed as part of the project and include the following: ➢ A new Jadwin Drive will be constructed to extend from Fitzrandolph Road to the drop-off at DeNunzio Pool that will consists of a 22-feet-wide vehicular road, landscaped buffer space, and a shared bicycle and pedestrian path; ➢ A new Stadium Drive will extend from the drop-off at DeNunzio Pool north to Ivy Lane/Western Way along the east side of Weaver Track and Princeton Stadium that will consists of a 22-feet-wide vehicular road, landscape buffer space, and a new bicycle and pedestrian path; and ➢ A new Garage Drive will connect from Faculty Road to Jadwin Drive along the west side of the garage and will provide an access point to the East Campus Garage. A bus layby lane on the east side of the Garage Drive will provide dedicated space for TigerTransit pick-up and drop-off at the transit hub. Based upon the submitted application documents, the project proposes a total of 4.82 acres of impervious surface coverage, or an increase of approximately 0.38 acre in impervious surface coverage when compared with the existing conditions. The project will also result in the disturbance of approximately 8.2 acres area of land. Stream Corridor: The project site is located within the Millstone River watershed area. One tributary to the Stony Brook is located about 1,000 feet to the west of the site, while a second tributary to the Stony Brook is located 700 feet to the east of the site. Also, the floodplains of Stony Brook and Carnegie Lake are located about 250 feet to the south of the site. No other mapped watercourses or floodplains lie directly on the project site. Therefore, this project will not be subject to stream corridor impact review pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:45-9.1(a). Stormwater Runoff Quantity: The existing project site drainage system includes a closed drainage system that collects runoff from roadways, driveways, parking and landscape areas into a series of infrequent catch basins and inlets. The closed drainage system on the west side of the site discharges to a drain main on Princeton University campus that connects to a drain main in Faculty Road and eventually discharges to an outfall to Lake Carnegie to the west of the project site. The closed drainage system on the east side of the site discharges to a main in Fitzrandolph Road which crosses Faculty Road and discharges to Lake Carnegie. There is also existing sheet flow from the southern portion of the site which flows overland to Faculty Drive and is collected in catch basins and discharged through an outfall to Lake Carnegie. There are no existing stormwater best management practice (BMP) facilities onsite. The proposed project will result in an increase in impervious surface area and an associated increase in peak runoff flow and volume if unmitigated. The submitted application proposes to control stormwater runoff flow and volume through the incorporation of a BMP measure, consisting of a series of subsurface extended detention basins and bio-retention facilities. DRCC #: 21-2441DD 5 DATE: March 10, 2021 PROJECT NAME: Princeton University East Campus Garage Stormwater runoff quantity was evaluated at three separate points of analysis, including Design Point A, Design Point B and Design Point C. Design Point A is at the western outfall to Lake Carnegie and is a from the closed drainage system connection to main southwest of the project site along Faculty Drive. Design Point B consists of overland flow to Fitzrandolph Road and central outfall to Lake Carnegie. Design Point C is the eastern outfall to Lake Carnegie and is from the closed drainage system connection at the corner of Fitzrandolph Road and Faculty Drive. The stormwater management measures has been designed so that the post-construction peak runoff rates for the two, 10 and 100-year storm events will be no greater than 50 percent (%), 75% and 80%, respectively, of the pre-construction peak runoff rates. The submitted calculations utilized the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Technical Release No. 55 (TR-55) hydrologic methodology, NOAA Region C unit hydrograph rainfall distribution and current New Jersey 24-hour rainfall frequency data for Mercer County to compute peak runoff flow rates and volumes. Impervious and pervious areas have been separated as part of the stormwater routing calculations. Based upon a review of the submitted stormwater calculations, the proposed stormwater management measures will provide enough peak flow attenuation to meet the specific runoff quantity standards of N.J.A.C.