Carl E. Peters – Experience

Handicapped Accessibility

Carl E. Peters experience includes providing inspection services and preparing expert reports about buildings’ and sites’ levels of handicapped accessibility and compliance with the standards set forth in the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). These services have been performed for property owners who have been sued for failure to make their properties accessible and also for individuals with disabilities advocating for the removal of barriers.

Uniform Construction Code Consulting

Peters has provided code analysis services for insurance carriers needing to determine the nature of improvements to buildings required by code or law when a structure has been damaged by fire or flood. He has also provided advice regarding a facility’s compliance with the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code.

Expert Witness Services

Carl E. Peters has provided expert witness services for both plaintiffs and defendants in litigation involving: sewers and drainage facilities, streets and sidewalks, snow removal, building code compliance, deed restrictions and real property matters.

Has also provided technical litigation support to defense counsel in complex litigation.

Land Use

Peters provides Professional Planning and Professional Engineering testimony for applicants and objectors about land use applications for site plans, subdivisions and variances.

As Municipal Engineer he reviewed applications for site plans, subdivisions and use variances presented to the Princeton Regional Planning Board and Princeton Borough Zoning Board of Adjustment. Projects Included: McCarter Theatre expansion, Princeton University Buildings such as Firestone Library Expansion, Computer Science Building, Science Library, Frist Student Center, Princeton Theological Seminary Library, Parking Garage and Administration Building, Palmer Square’s Hulfish North Development.

He testified before the Planning Board, Zoning Board, Historic Preservation Review Committee, Site Plan Review Advisory Board.

Reviewed plans for compliance with Findings of Fact.

Reviewed deeds and subdivision plans, for filing with Mercer County.

Reviewed bond estimates for site improvements.

Monitored construction of site improvements and made recommendations for release of performance bonds upon project completion.

Participated in periodic updating of the Master Plan

Prepared recommendations regarding proposed land use ordinances.

Consulting Engineering

Peters has performed investigation of civil/structural and mechanical failure analysis, and construction/building inspections and prepared technical reports regarding findings.

Types of investigations include:

Foundation and retaining wall failures, Structural failures, Structural integrity analysis, Ground water effects on structures, Settlement damage, in-ground and above-ground pool failures, water damage, blasting/ vibration damage, chimney damage, storm damage, design evaluation, plumbing systems, code research, sprinkler systems, slip, trip and fall, roof coverings, exterior veneers, and thermal pane units.

Mediation and Dispute Resolution

 Carl E. Peters is on the New Jersey Courts Roster of Rule 1:40 mediators in Mercer, Morris, Monmouth, Middlesex, Somerset, Union and Hunterdon Counties. He has acted as a neutral in cases including: construction disputes among property owners, contractors and architects and engineers, commercial leases, professional malpractice and insurance claims.

Civil and Municipal Engineering Design

Carl E. Peters prepared Plans and Specifications for many Roadway Reconstruction projects with an emphasis on Context Sensitive Design, Traffic Calming and Infrastructure repair. The projects listed below all required an extensive Public Participation process. Many of these projects included replacement of the roadway, curbs, sidewalks, storm sewers and sanitary sewers. Most of the projects also required coordination with Public Utilities to allow for repairs to gas, water, electric and telephone services prior to rebuilding the roadway.

Contract 85-1: Paul Robeson Place

Contract 86-01: South Tulane St. Area Project – This project included rerouting of sanitary sewers in the Central Business District. These old sewers were in disrepair but could not be accessed due to the construction of buildings above them. It also included reconstruction of the storm sewer serving the entire Central Business district as well as full, street, sidewalk and curb construction.

Contract 87-01: Harrison Street North

Contract 87-02A: Hulfish Street Resurfacing

Contract 94-1: Reconstruction of John Street – Full, street, curb, sidewalk, storm and sanitary sewer replacement along with replacement of sanitary sewer laterals and water services

Contract 94-2: Reconstruction of Chestnut Street and Walnut Lane

Contract 96-1: Reconstruction of part of Harrison Street North, overlay of p/o Paul Robeson Place and part of Hamilton Ave.

Contract 96-2: Reconstruction of Hodge Road – This project also resolved speeding problems by the construction of traffic calming measures including: speed tables with raised crosswalks, mountable traffic islands and speed humps after a lengthy public participation process.

Contract 97-1: Jefferson Road Area Drainage Project – This project solved a neighborhood flooding problem caused by runoff from a cemetery.

Contract 99-1: Reconstruction of Jefferson Road, Humbert St., Greenview Ave. and Hornor Lane – included traffic calming devices: neckdowns and speed humps

Contract 99-2: Reconstruction of University Place and Alexander Street – included a State Historic Preservation Office review and traffic calming improvements to address pedestrian safety near McCarter Theatre.

Contract 01-01: Reconstruction of Evelyn Place, Murray Place, Pine Street, Aiken Ave. and Harrison Street

Contract 04-02: Reconstruction of Cleveland Lane and part of Lafayette Road – including installation of mini traffic circles, neck downs and raised crosswalks.

Construction Administration

Provided construction observation, processed payment requests, reviewed contractor claims and prepared change orders for all projects designed above, as well as for the following projects designed by other consultants.

Renovation of the Public Works Garage

Renovation of Borough Hall

Spring Street Parking Garage and Plaza

Monument Plaza and Borough Hall Parking Lot

Renovations to Suzanne Patterson Center

Contract 87-02: Reconstruction of Boudinot Street, Morven Place, Hunter Road and part of Library Place and Lafayette Road

Contract 88-3: Reconstruction of part of Prospect Street and Washington Road

Contract 88-01: Reconstruction of Wiggins Street and part of Hamilton Avenue

Contract 88-02: Nassau Street Sidewalks and Streetscape

Contract 89-01: Reconstruction of Moore Street, Park Place and Van Deventer Avenue

Contract 89-02: Reconstruction of Maple Street, Clay Street and part of Spruce Street

Contract 89-03: Reconstruction of Palmer Square and part of Witherspoon Street

Contract 90-01: Reconstruction of Stanley Ave., Leavitt Lane, Fisher Ave., Armour Road, Campbelton Road, and Campbelton Circle

Contract 90-02: Reconstruction of Markham Place, Pelham Street, Wilton Street and Sergeant Street

Contract 90-03: Reconstruction of Linden Lane, Ewing Street and p/o Hawthorne Avenue and Franklin Avenue

Contract 90-04: Reconstruction of Cedar Lane, Robert Road, Forrester Drive and part of Riverside Drive

Contract 92-1: Reconstruction of Chambers Street and part of Nassau Street Sidewalk Streetscape

Contract 98-01: Reconstruction of Tee-Ar Place, Erdman Avenue, Sturges Street and part of Mercer Street and Prospect Avenue

Contract 02-02: Reconstruction of N. Tulane Street, Madison Street and Elm Road

Contract 02-01: Reconstruction of Lytle Street, Green Street, Quarry Street and Maclean Street

Contract 03-02: Reconstruction of Hibben Street, Moran Avenue and Washington Road

Water Supply and Sewerage System projects for: Borough of Mantoloking, Brick Township MUA, Dover Township Sewerage Authority, Monroe Township Municipal Utilities Authority.

Worked with the surety to complete a project In the Borough of Mantoloking where the original contractor had been placed in default and subsequently, provided technical support to the firm’s attorneys related to project litigation.

Code Enforcement

Headed a Local Enforcing Agency that issued up to 1000 construction permits a year.

Supervised Subcode Officials, Inspectors and a Technical Assistant.

Provided technical review of Plumbing Permit applications.

Issued Construction Permits, Certificates of Approval and Certificates of Occupancy.

Issued notices of violation, Notices of Unsafe Structure and penalty orders, as required.

Prepared annual revenue reports to NJ Dept. of Community Affairs and Princeton Borough Council.

Testified before the Princeton Borough Construction Board of Appeals.

Surveying

Testified in the New Jersey Superior Court, Chancery Division regarding the meaning of an ancient deed restriction.

Performed Annual Updates to the Borough of Princeton Tax Map and had the maps re-certified twice by the NJ Division of Taxation, for revaluation. Prepared property parcel and easement plans with deed descriptions. Reviewed surveys, subdivisions and easements prepared for borough projects or land use applications. Participated in the planning for Digital Borough Topographic and Tax Maps and monument network.

Local Government

Provided advice to the Governing Body and Municipal Administrator of the Borough of Princeton about a wide variety of issues. These included: budgeting, planning of public works projects, parking and traffic regulations, preparation of ordinances, negotiations with labor unions, developers and other governmental agencies, affordable housing and code enforcement.

Parking

Managed the Princeton Borough Parking Operations division that operated approximately 1200 metered parking spaces and an attended surface lot with 180 spaces.

Prepared an analysis of parking in the Borough’s Central Business District that became the basis for construction of a 500 space parking garage.

Implemented a revenue control system that provides for cash, credit and smart card payments in the garage and allows for cash and smart card payments at all parking meters.

Provided advice to the Governing Body about meter rates and parking duration to optimize the use of metered parking.

Assisted in the development of parking ordinances.

Redevelopment

Acted as Owner’s Representative for the planning and construction of a Redevelopment project constructed on Borough owned land under a long term ground lease. The $14 million public portion of the project included a 500 car parking garage and a downtown plaza. The private portion of the project included two, five story, mixed use buildings with retail space on the first floor and four floors of apartments above. The project was constructed on the site of a 19^th century gas manufacturing plant. PSE&G performed a coal tar remediation on the site immediately ahead of the project. The work was also coordinated with the construction of a new public library within the same block.

Sewers

Served as Project Engineer for a $1.3 million Sewer System Evaluation Survey of 22 municipalities within the Middlesex County Utilities Authority Service Area.

As a technical liaison to the Princeton Sewer Operating Committee participated in a system wide rehabilitation necessitated due to sewage overflows in periods of heavy rainfall. The program commenced with a sewer system evaluation survey. This survey was used to determine the necessary size for replacement trunk sewers as predicated by removal of 40% of the Infiltration and Inflow and full build out of Princeton Borough and Princeton Township. Repairs to the collection system were phased so that the most cost effective repairs were made first. Repairs were also coordinated with Borough and Township capital road reconstruction projects. Methods used to repair the collection system included replacement, slip lining, chemical grouting, manhole repairs. Another component of the program was the lining or replacement of private laterals with the costs assessed to the property owner.

Traffic Calming

Incorporated traffic calming measures into reconstruction projects, in response to neighborhood concerns about vehicular speeds. The devices used to slow traffic include speed tables, neck downs, mini traffic circles, speed humps and splitter islands.

Management

As Borough Engineer was responsible for the areas of Engineering, Public Works, Zoning, Affordable Housing, Parking Operations, Shade Tree Commission and Construction Code Enforcement. This required preparation of annual operating and capital budgets and supervision of the department’s personnel.

Negotiations

Participated as a member of the Management team for contract negotiations with unionized blue collar workers.

Grant Administration 

Prepared applications for and administered NJDOT Local Aid and NJDCA Small Cities Grants

Special Awards:

New Jersey Society of Municipal Engineers President’s Distinguished Service Award

New Jersey Society of Municipal Engineers Project of the Year:

Infrastructure Management Program – 1^st Place

John Street Playground – Honor Place

Reconstruction of John Street – Honor Place

Hodge Road – Honor Place