Law would lead to creating an historic district in downtown Lambertville
By: Cynthia Williamson
LAMBERTVILLE When the words "historic preservation ordinance" were first seriously uttered more than a decade ago, property owners shuttered at the prospect they could be advised on such things as the color to paint their shutters.
Ten years later, a proposal to protect and preserve the city’s historic resources was received with resounding applause.
June 6, the city Planning Board adopted an historic preservation element to the Master Plan that would serve as the springboard for creating an historic district in downtown Lambertville and an historic preservation commission.
"It’s something that’s been thought about in the city for a very long time," said Linda Weber, who crafted the 25-page document adopted by the board that the commission would reference as it sits down to write an ordinance that would regulate building alterations and construction in the newly created historic district.
"It will be a win-win situation for the merchants and for the landowners," said Ms. Weber, a professional planner with the Hunterdon County Planning Board and former member of the local board, who received applause for a presentation she gave at the board’s meeting last week.
Resident Delyn McCosh, proprietor of Garden House Antiques on North Union Street and treasurer of the Lambertville Antiques Dealers Association, said she embraces historic preservation and would welcome an opportunity to serve on the commission.
"I like old architecture; I like old things," she said. "And I would like Lambertville to keep its charm."
While the state and national Register of Historic Places regulates improvements to listed public buildings, such as City Hall at 18 York St., a local historic district would regulate alterations and improvements to privately owned structures.
"Obviously, historic preservation is proven to be good for property values if it’s done the right way," Mayor David Del Vecchio said. "I know it was tried over 10 years ago but it didn’t get support because the attempt was to put it throughout the whole city."
The council will appoint the commission, which would be authorized to "review and evaluate" new construction or alterations in the historic district as well as "promote public awareness" of historic preservation throughout the city.
The commission also may offer "advisory comments" to the Planning Board or it may act as an "independent reviewing authority."
"The design guidelines will protect the investment that landowners and businesses have already made in their properties by ensuring that all new construction is compatible with the city’s historic character," Ms. Weber said. "And property owners that want to renovate their building can take advantage of the design guidelines and professional advice from the Historic Preservation Commission before a large investment is actually committed."
Landowners in the central business district for whom the proposed historic ordinance is intended would be permitted to make improvements to their properties so long as they adhere to the design elements, she said.
"For example, you may be asked not to use synthetic siding on your new building," she said. "Or you will be asked to provide vertical windows spaced 3 feet apart rather than build a blank wall."
Contrary to a popular notion that an historic ordinance would create another level of bureaucracy, Ms. Weber said it actually would streamline approval.
"For smaller projects, the design review process will be in lieu of Planning Board requirements," she said. "For larger projects, the design review process will be an informal procedure that occurs simultaneous with the Planning Board process."
She said design guidelines established in the proposed ordinance would be "common-sense ideas" a property owner interested in protecting his investment would want to incorporate into the project anyway.
"Regardless, when a building is located in a successful historic downtown like Lambertville, the landowner’s reverence for visual historic elements are almost always repaid by the business of patrons, tourists and local residents," she said. "This is well-documented in historic districts."
Historic preservation is a concept resident John Hencheck has been advocating for 20 years.
"We had taken a look at it in the 1980s," he said. "It was for the entire city, which, at the time, wasn’t really workable."
The creation of a commission also could benefit landowners outside of the historic district because they would be encouraged to "consult" with the panel of quasi-experts before embarking on building projects, he said.
If members of the commission become certified by the state, it would open the door for the city to apply for preservation grants, he pointed out.