The Institute For Advanced Study claims the Princeton Battlefield Society trespassed on their land and took soil samples Sunday.
PRINCETON - A long-running disagreement between the Princeton Battlefield Society and the Institute for Advanced Study cropped up again this weekend after institute claims they found society members trespassing on their property.
The two have been locked in legal disputes for over a year since the institute was granted permission to build a 15-unit faculty housing development at a piece of land near Einstein Drive which the society deems historic.
Sunday saw the most recent development in their disagreement.
In a statement Wednesday the institute said they found members of the historical society taking soil samples Sunday from the land.
"It was later determined that several samples had indeed been taken from the building site and did not relate to any prior documented and authorized sampling," Alexandra Altman, a representative for the institute said. She said their actions were illegal and the institute was, "very surprised," at the society.
But Bruce Afran, an attorney representing the historical society, disagrees.
He said the group was working on behalf of the Civil War Trust, an organization that has offered its support to the society in helping to stop development at the site.
Afran said the group had just gone to observe the site for evidence of wetlands but that they hadn't taken any soil samples.
Even if they had, Afran said, it wouldn't be illegal. He maintains that the group had every right to be at the site which he says has been a public area for 60 years.
"From my point of view they (the institute) should be respectful of the public's right to be on that property," Afran said.
A section of the land in question is fenced off for construction but Princeton police said they don't believe the society members had crossed into the fenced-off area. They were still investigating the allegations of trespassing Wednesday afternoon.
Sunday was the most recent case of growing tensions between the institute and the historical society. After legal battles throughout 2015, the institute was given the go-ahead to start construction at the site, which they did in December.
The society fought back with increased support from state senators and both local and national organizations.
Most recently the society announced their plans to sue the institute for encroaching on wetlands that the society says are present at the site of construction. In doing so, the institute is violating the Federal Water Pollution Act, the society said in a statement last month.
This article was updated with a comment from Bruce Afran.
Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.