HPAC change pushed to ’06

The Township Committee will hold off on ordinance approval.

By: Jessica Beym
   The Township Committee won’t approve an ordinance changing the way structures in the Historic District are regulated until next year.
   On Monday, the committee decided that changes recommended by the Planning Board to an already introduced ordinance mean a new proposal will be drafted before it is reintroduced. The changes must be reviewed by the committee, then approved by the Planning Board.
   However, any ordinance not approved by the end of the year must be reintroduced once the Township Committee has reorganized and a mayor for 2006 is selected by the committee.
   The Township reorganization meeting will be held at Town Hall at 7 p.m. Jan. 3.
   Committee member Richard Stannard, who also serves on the Planning Board, said he expects the revised ordinance to be reintroduced during the first or second committee meeting in January.
   The original ordinance, introduced in September, was expected to streamline the process of applying for renovations in the Historic District. It also would have eliminated the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee and replaced it with the Historic Preservation Commission, which would keep the township consistent with state statutes governing historic preservation.
   However, after its introduction, the Planning Board suggested that changes be made to the proposal. Those changes included clerical and grammatical corrections, as well as more substantive changes including the addition of a section that explains the duties of the Administrative Officer of the HPC, and guidelines for the use of synthetic siding.
   HPAC, which was established in 1988, is a five-member committee that advises residents and the planning and zoning boards on the impact that renovations or new development would have on the Historic District. The township has been looking to make revisions to HPAC’s charter for about 10 years.
   The ordinance is designed to take the guesswork out of development, remodeling and renovation projects for residents in the Historic District. The new commission will maintain an inventory of all the historic sites in the township, determine the historic significance of the sites and advise the Planning Board on Master Plan amendments regarding historic preservation.
   The process of applying for work will also be simplified so residents will use separate forms for major and minor repairs.
   The current boundaries of the Historic District and the 2,400-foot buffer zone will remain in effect once the ordinance has passed, but according to the ordinance, it may be amended in the future.