LPH Coalition for Responsible Growth

The LPH Coalition for Responsible Growth is the informal umbrella group under which both the Gulick and ETS neighborhood groups focus jointly on resisting irresponsible overdevelopment in Lawrence through public education, advocacy, civic engagement, and legal action when needed.

We support affordable housing and believe Lawrence can meet its Mount Laurel obligations without sacrificing the environment, public safety, or the character of our neighborhoods.

Our Goals

We work to protect:

• Residents from health and safety risks caused by overdevelopment
• Neighborhoods, schools, roads, and local infrastructure
• Endangered species and sensitive natural areas
• Historic sites and the character of our community
• Taxpayers from unnecessary financial burdens on the municipal budget

Why Princeton and Hopewell Are Included

Overdevelopment in Lawrence affects nearby communities too—especially residents along:

• Province Line Road
• Carter Road
• Route 206

Health, traffic, safety, environmental damage, and infrastructure strain do not stop at town borders.

What We Expect from Local Leadership

Town leaders must serve all residents fairly, openly, and responsibly. This means:

• giving clear notice about major development proposals
• allowing real public input before decisions are made
• listening with an open mind—not treating public hearings as a formality

Our Position

• Lawrence needs a balanced approach to affordable housing—one that follows the law, respects the Township Master Plan, and protects the long-term health, well being, environment and character of our community.

• 75+ Acre Mega-Development on the ETS Campus
• 800+ housing units + commercial development (20% set aside for affordable housing; 15% for senior housing; the rest market-rate).
• 50% reserved for families => many more than 800 persons => Increased traffic & safety concerns => Pressure on school system, emergency services & other infrastructure => likely rise in municipal costs (and taxes to pay for them)
• 10 units per acre v. current zoning of 1 home per 2 acres
• 2,000% increase in density
• sharply lower property values => lower tax receipts for township
• READ THE ORDINANCE LAWRENCE IS PROPOSING

• Gulick House was built in 1855, and is currently a 2.5-story residential dwelling unit wtih a one-story 2-car garage, to be changed into:
• 100 units on just 7.15 acres, within the Environmental Protection I District.
• High density development threatens historic corridor, neighborhood character => Increased traffic & safety concerns => Pressure on school system, emergency services & other infrastructure => likely rise in municipal costs (and taxes to pay for them)
• Lawrence is planning to provide the developer with a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) benefit. Read here to learn why PILOTS hurt taxpyares, schools and libraries.
• Gulick House is at Block 6601, Lot 2, owned by "3641 Lawrenceville Road, LLC," Joseph Straus, CEO. (CareOne, a former petitioner to purchase the site is owned by Daniel Straus.)
• HISTORY
• Lawrence has recognized the Gulick House as "one of the finest examples of Italianate high style domestic architecture in central New Jersey, and its preservation is important to the character of Lawrence Township."
• Preservation NJ has labeled the site as endangered, and has recommended "that the building be placed on the state and national registers of historic places, making it eligible for matching grants from the New Jersey Historic Trust. We also encourage any potential developer to look into the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits for historic buildings used as income producing properties."
• The property has been the focal point of several applications for development between the years of 1997 and 2022, most recently an application was submitted for a CareOne senior assisted living center. The applications from 1997, 1999, and 2011 were denied, and the application from 2022 was discontinued by the applicant.

• ETS => Devastation to wildlife & natural habitats => irreversible damage to Stony Brook, its waterways & riparian zones (just wastewater runoff of 800 people alone will ravage Stony Brook & the endagered species inhabiting its waters) + light pollution will imperil & devastate the local & migratory birds + local bats
• Both => Enormous increase in gridlock traffic on our local roadways (Province Line, Carter and Rosedale Rds) + costs of maintenance due to the increase
• Both => Huge surge in the load on our public utilities & services => likely increase in costs, to accomodate
• Both => Overcrowding of schools => increase in costs to accomodate, including salaries, benefits & pensions => potential increase in property taxes
• Both => Impact on first responders and other public services
• Both => Steep Increase in safety risks -- none of our local roadways have sidewalks or appropriate bikeways
• Both => Possible health impacts for those households using well water in properties near the proposed developments
• Both => Drop in home values => lower tax receipts for township
• Both => Significant effects on running water and sewer lines
• ETS => Loss of open spaces on the ETS campus, with negative impacts on families, hikers, nature lovers

• We need your voice - track & attend the Lawrence Planning Board, Township Council and other relevant meetings by regularly checking the Lawrence Township Calendar: Please.make sure you check the calendar every Monday at noon to see what's on the Agenda for the Monday night Planning Committee and Tuesday night Town Council Meetings; they meet bi-weekly. The Zoning Board meets on Weds. 1x per month. The Environmental Resources & Green Advisory Committee Meeting meets on Tuesdays, 1x/ month.
• We need your support - volunteer HERE
• We need donations to pay for experts, legal counsel and associated costs - donate directly on the www.cherish-lawrence.org website, or contact donations - info@PHcoaltion.org to pledge your donations (separate accounts for ETS and Gulick)

• The township has not been fully transparent and, in fact, at times misleading about its plans
• The township does not appear to have conducted even minimal due diligence and has not weighed the pros and cons of competing social values in deciding to move the process forward to consider re-zoning the ETS and Gulick sites to allow for high-density housing
• The township does not appear to have considered any of the other important considerations in locating affordable housing in these locations -- traffic, safety, health, history, environment and other concerns (see "How will this impact you...?")

• Please.make sure you check the calendar every Monday at noon to see what's on the Agenda for the Monday night Planning Committee and Tuesday night Town Council Meetings; they meet bi-weekly. The Zoning Board meets on Weds.; 1x per month. The Environmental Resources & Green Advisory Committee Meeting meets on Tuesdays; 1x/ month.

OFFICIAL

• 1995 master plan discusses the Gulick House
• 2020 Historic Preservation Plan: WILLIAM GULICK HOUSE (9) – The Gulick House is the most elaborate high style Italianate dwelling surveyed in the Township. It dates from 1855 or thereabouts. The house is eligible for registration on the National Register and is located at 3641Lawrenceville-Princeton Road.
• State and Federal
• The NJDEP's Historic Preservation Office lists the following on its "Known Historic Properties List:
• William Gulick House (ID#5273) 3601 Lawrenceville-Princeton Road. COE: 7/26/2013
• King's Highway Historic District (ID#353) US Route 206 and NJ Route 27, between Lawrenceville and Kingston NR: 12/21/2000 (NR Reference #: 00001493) SR: 10/23/2000 See Main Entry / Filed Location: MERCER County, Princeton
• Lawrence Township Historic District (ID#1717) US Route 206 between Pennington-Lawrenceville Road and Carter Road NR: 9/14/1972 (NR Reference #: 72000799) SR: 7/31/1972
• Note: New Jersey Register of Historic Places Act (1970) allows historic properties to be nominated and entered in the New Jersey Register of Historic Places, which is maintained by our office. Once a property is listed in the New Jersey Register of Historic Places, any public undertaking that would “encroach upon, damage or destroy” the registered historic property must receive prior authorization from the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection. Strictly private undertakings are not reviewable under the law. (See additional information here.)

UNOFFICIAL

• Back in 1687 when the Europeans came to our lands a Surveyor and General George Keith surveyed a line between East New Jersey and West New Jersey. These were considered two provinces, hence the name Province Line Road. King Charles II, seized the New Netherland colony from the Dutch West India Company. James Duke of York and the brother of King Charles II granted the property to two courtiers, Sir George Carteret and John, Lord Berkeley, the first two Proprietors. Province Line road is the boundary line between Lawrence Township and Princeton known as the Keith Line. It was also known as Coxe corner. According to lore, George Washington has walked down Route 206 at this intersection. Route 206 was also called the Kings Highway.

• ETS consists of 364 acres of land across four tax lots: Block 7801, Lot 21, Block 7801, Lot 21/X, Block 7801, Lot 4 and Block 7801, Lot 9.
• Lots 21/X (241.54 acres) and 9 (3.27 acres), totalling 244.81 acres, or roughly 2/3 of the entire ETS campus, are enrolled in the NJ Green Acres Tax Exemption Open Spaces program.
• A tributary of the Stony Brook runs across the ETS campus, and Stony Brook is categorized as a class-1 protected waterway, requiring the highest level of protection. Endangered mussels that are very pollution-sensitive and filters pollutants inhabit these waters.
• There have been at least 7 conservation restrictions recorded in the Mercer Co. Deeds Office, from at least 1959 to 2020. The Nov. 11, 2020 Conservation Restriction appears to be the most recent, legally binding ETS, its heirs, successors and assigns and all legal and equitable owners, to comply with certain notifications requirements and restrictions against development in the "riparian zone" within 300 feet of Stony Brook.
• There's also a DRCC Conservation Stream Corridor & Conservation Easement (DRCC#03-2197A) restricting development of almost 29 acres of the Stony Brook watershed, and subjecting any development there to DRCC review.
• Portions of ETS in Block 1801, Lot 21: The State of NJ has determined that all or a portion of this lot lies in a flood hazard area, and are regulated by NJDEP. NJ has also determined the presence of freshwater wetlands here, which require review and permitting by the state.
• The flood hazard area is also recognized as a federal flood zone.
• FYI, by way of background: as a nonprofit, ETS is required to make its tax returns public. Their 2024 tax returns can be found here.

• Master Plan of the Township of Lawrence, dated June 14, 1995
• Reexamination Report of the Master Plan, dated April 3, 2006
• Reexamination Report of the Master Plan, dated May 20, 2013
• Reexamination Report of the Master Plan, dated December 18, 2023
• Master Plan: Video "Understanding the Master Plan" (from 2024)
• Amendments to the Master Plan (Selected)
• Amendment to the 2025 Fourth Round Housing Plan, DRAFT
• Fourth Round Housing Plan, dated June 16, 2025
• Public Hearing Presentation on June 16, 2025
• Fourth Round Housing Plan
• Full List of Master Plan and Amendments can be found here

• 5/19/26: Town Council meeting re ETS - postponed decision to approve ordinance due to notice issue
• 5/4/26: Planning Board meeting - votes that the ETS ordinance and plan are consistent with the Housing element of the Master Plan
• 4/21/26: Town Council meeting - Agenda and Video of meeting.
• 4/20/26: Gulick - Planning Committee Hearing votes unanimously to designate the Gulick site as a Non-Condemnation site for Redevelopment (essentially whether to fast-track it for redevelopment), despite community opposition. Bypassed the Lawrence Preservatation Committee entirely, and did not include in Preliminary Investigation that Gulick is a historic town landmark..
• 2026: Draft Amendments to Fourth Round Housing Plan
  "Lawrence Township adopted the 2025 Fourth Round Housing Element and Fair Share Plan on June 16, 2025 (“Fourth Round Housing Plan”) and subsequently submitted it to the Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program (the “Program”). Two challenges to the Township’s Fourth Round Housing Plan were filed, one from Fair Share Housing Center (“FSHC”) and the other from 3641 Lawrenceville Road, LLC (“3641”). After settlement conferences conducted by the Program and additional discussions, the Township resolved both challenges. The Township’s Settlement Agreement with 3641 was executed on February 11, 2025 and it sets forth a density increase to the 3641 site, located at 3641 Lawrenceville Road (S.H. Route 206) (Block 6601, Lot 2). The Township’s Mediation Agreement with FSHC was executed on February 12, 2026 and sets forth a few changes to the Township’s Third and Fourth Round mechanisms. The following amends the Fourth Round Housing Plan, adopted on June 16, 2025, and implements the applicable terms of the 3641 Settlement Agreement and the FSHC Mediation Agreement." (Intro)
• June 16, 2025: Public Hearing Presentation, including ETS & Gulick
• June 16, 2025: Fourth Round Housing Plan
• Feb. 12, 2025: Lawrence settles with Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC)
• Feb. 11, 2025: Lawrence settles with Gulick House, allowing potential increasing density on the site
• Aug. 17, 2020: Historic Preservation Plan Element
• Aug. 6. 2010: Open Space and Recreation Plan Element
• May 3, 2010: The Green Buildings and Environmental Sustainability Element
  "The most fundamental thing which a New Jersey municipality can do to reduce the energy demand and vehicle miles travelled of a municipality is to require, where appropriate, compact development which is served by alternative forms of transportation and in proximity to goods and services (additional policies regarding vehicle miles traveled can be found in the Sustainable Circulation Systems section of this Element). In other words, communities can reduce their environmental footprint by implementing smart growth principles and therefore providing residents an opportunity to drive less since destinations are closer and walking and biking options are available. Policies promoting compact development in appropriate areas – those served by existing infrastructure – which are coupled with policies promoting preservation of active agriculture and environmentally sensitive lands will allow for continued growth and enhancement in the Township without jeopardizing its environmental resources." (p. 4)
• Feb. 2004: Taking the Next Step: Lawrence Township Municipal Assessment (extracts quoted below)
  - Land Use and Development Township Goal: “Retaining and enhancing existing patterns of development ratherthan encouraging major change in landscape.”
  - Stream Corridor Protection Township Goal "Township Goal: “Protect natural features and resources such as… bodies of water worthy of protection for ecological balance and as a counterpoint to the built environment” and “Preserve and enhance stream corridors through Greenways Network using bike and pedestrian paths.”
  - Groundwater Protection Township Goal: "Township Goal: Lawrence Township’s area in particular relies heavily on groundwater supplies, and the geology of the area makes recharge difficult. Thus, geological studies in determining the potential for groundwater recharge and therefore, protection of groundwater, must be conducted prior to development.
  - Conservation of Natural Features and Critical Areas Township Goals: Protect natural features and resources such as steep slopes, wetlands, and floodplains for ecological balance and as a counterpoint to the built environment. Restrict development in these areas. The conservation element of the Master Plan lists environmentally sensitive areas in the Township.
  - Rural Quality Township Goals: Retain rural character and historic streetscapes and establish design guidelines for preserving significant views from public rights-of-way by using rural design techniques and standards for low intensity development in identified areas.
  - Historic Character Township Goals: Retain rural character and historic streetscapes and establish design guidelines for preserving significant views from public rights-of-way by using rural design techniques and standards for low intensity development in identified areas.

• TRACK LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP'S ACTIONS
• Lawrence Township Calendar: Please.make sure you check the calendar every Monday at noon to see what's on the Agenda for the Monday night Planning Committee and Tuesday night Town Council Meetings; they meet bi-weekly. The Zoning Board meets on Weds.; apparantly 1x per month. The Environmental Resources & Green Advisory Committee Meeting meets on Tuesdays; apparently, 1x/ month.
• YouTube channel for Lawrence: You can see past hearings here
• MASTER PLAN & AMENDMENTS
• Township - link to all versions
• Master Plan: Video "Understanding the Master Plan" (from 2024)
• SPECIFIC PLANS FOR ETS
• Fair Share Housing Plan (plans for ETS pp. 38-39; ap on pp. 43;47) (2026)
• SPECIFIC PLANS FOR GULICK
• Fair Share Housing Plan (plans Gulick site at pp. 36-37; map on p.43-44) (2026)
• Preliminary Investigation to determine whether Gulick is a "Non-Condemnation Area in Need of Redevelopment"
• LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP'S ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES & COMMITMENTS
• Lawrence Environmental Resource Inventory (2017)

• Lawrence - General Ordinances & Provisions
• Flood Plan Ordinance 2434-22 (12/6/22) "flood plans are...environmentally sensitive...best left in an undeveloped state"
• ETS - Specific Restrictions & Regulations
• NJDEP Conservation Restriction (2020)
• DRCC Conservation Stream Corridor & Conservation Easement (DRCC#03-2197A)
  Covering almost 29 acres of the Stony Brook watershed
• NJ Conservation Blueprint

• Lawrence Town Council: Who's on the town council (our elected representatives).
  Form of Government: "The governing body consists of five council members elected at large who serve four-year terms. The elections are partisan and occur every two years in November. The Mayor is elected by the council members and serves a two-year term. Council acts by majority vote to enact legislation and set policy for the municipality. It appoints the Municipal Manager, who acts as the chief executive and administrative official of the municipality. The Municipal Manager is primarily responsible for the municipal government's day-to-day operations, prepares the municipal budget, appoints and removes department heads, and attends council meetings with voice but no voting rights. The Town Manager and Town Clerk attend all Town Council Meetings, the latter serving as Secretary and as custodian of all minutes, ordinances, resolutions, bonds, deeds and contracts."
• Municipal Manager: Kevin P. Nerwinski, Esq. (4-year term upcoming renewal as of 4/21/26) - Oversees Affordable Housing Plans
• Full Township Contact List
• Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission (DRCC)
  The Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission is a state agency created by law in 1974 whose mission is to: prepare, adopt, and implement a master plan for the physical development of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park; review State and local actions that impact on the park to insure that these actions conform as nearly as possible to the commission’s master plan; and coordinate and support activities by citizens’ groups to promote and preserve the park. Has jurisdiction over Stony Brook on ETS campus; has a conservation easement on the property. One of the DRCC's 3 main duties include: "To prepare and administer a land use regulatory program in designated “Review Zones” throughout a 450-square mile watershed around the canal that will protect the park from the harmful impacts of new development in central New Jersey."

• D&R Greenway Trust
• NJ Conservation Foundation
• NJ Conservation Blueprint
• Preservation NJ
• The Lawrence Historic Society