Historic Preservation Commission

MADISON HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting – April 12, 2022 Attending: Madison Historic Preservation (“HPC”) Chair Janet Foster, Members, Mary Ellen Lenahan, David Luber and Adrienne Novak; Council Liaison Maureen Byrne and Recording Secretary Laurie Hagerich. Member Chris Kellogg arrived late. Absent: Vice Chair Jill Rhodes; Members John Forte, Max Hart and John Solu. The meeting was called to order by Ms. Foster at 7:30 pm. She announced the meeting was called in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act. A verbal roll call was taken by Ms. Hagerich. Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the March 8, 2022, Public Meeting were considered and on motion made, seconded, and unanimously carried the minutes were approved as written. Sign & Façade Reviews: There were no new Sign and Façade applications. TCC Reviews: There were no new TCC Reviews. New Business: Exterior Alterations at the James Building, a key building in the Madison Civic and Commercial Historic District: The owner’s representative Josh Franklin, Esq., was present to explain plans to update the building’s present heating and air-conditioning system, which is a patchwork of old and new systems. Photos were shown of proposed locations of two new wall-hung heating and cooling condensing units which will hang on the driveway side of the building. These two units will provide updated heat and air-conditioning in two office spaces. There are plans to update the systems in other parts of the building in the future and hopefully the present window units and the old steam boiler can be eliminated. After questions from HPC Members and discussion, the project was approved and Mr. Franklin was thanked for bringing the plans to HPC. A confirming letter of approval will be sent to the owner. Waverly Place Renewal: There was discussion about a meeting regarding the Waverly Place renewal project on Saturday, March 26, attended by Dr. Rhodes for HPC, as well as merchants, Ms. Byrne and other Borough representatives. Many issues were addressed, including pedestrian safety, parking, drainage, safe unloading of commercial vehicles and appearance and use of Waverly Place. It was noted that grant monies are in place for the project and a requirement whenever public funds are involved is that the plans must be reviewed by HPC because Waverly Place is a contributing part of the National Register listing for the Madison Civic & Commercial Historic District. Hopefully there will be other sessions where HPC will be included in the planning process. Walking Tour Brochures: Mr. Kellogg introduced an item not on the agenda and told of a visit to Fredericksburg, VA, where he enjoyed seeing a vibrant and historic downtown. He brought several walking tour brochures of areas in Fredericksburg as examples of something Madison might do in the future to promote its Civic and Commercial Historic District. Old Business: 26 Main Street cell antenna: Ms. Foster reported the Borough has been approached by Sprint Communications to issue a permit for a new cell tower on the roof of 26 Main Street, above McCool’s ice cream store. This matter was initiated by another cell service provider in June 2021 and reviewed by HPC with a request that a mock-up of the height and size of the new tower be provided to assess its potential visual impact on the historic district. That request was never acknowledged and nothing came of the project. The current application for a similar structure on the rooftop was denied by Borough Engineer Dennis Harrington because of failure to follow procedures within a National Register Historic District. HPC Awards for 2022: Thanks to Ms. Byrne, a date for presenting the awards has been set for the Council meeting on Monday, May 9. Photos were shown of the two properties chosen, the Madison Court Apartments on Green Village Road, and the Tudor home at 11 Bardon Street recently renovated by owners Mr. and Mrs. Forbes. Although neither property is in a historic district, they both date from the 1920’s. Ms. Lenahan, Ms. Novak, and Ms. Foster will work on news articles and other publicity. Ordinance Revision: Ms. Foster spoke of her determination to move the project forward to have a clearer, stronger ordinance without the help of separate legal representation for the project. HPC Members agreed the best course of action is to pursue the matter with the support of the Planning Board and by working closely with that body. Ms. Foster and Dr. Rhodes will contact the Planning Board Chair to explore what revisions can be made in the current draft to make it more likely to be passed as a Borough ordinance. Liaison Reports: Planning and Zoning Boards: There were no relevant reports or updates. Open Spaces: A meeting is planned for this week. Historical Society: The final program for the spring, with a speaker about Black Baseball in America, will take place on Tuesday, April 19, at 7 pm via Zoom. Documentation of home on corner of Park Avenue and Elm Street: The week of April 25 will be the best time for documentation of the cottage on the corner of Park and Elm prior to demolition. Ms. Foster will contact those interested to set a date and time. Registration for NJ History Conference in June: Ms. Foster reminded members to complete registration and selection of sessions as soon as possible following instructions in her recent email. This educational in-person event will offer several sessions that are important for HPC members. Public Comment: There were no comments from the public. Future Meetings, Adjournment: The next meeting of the Commission will be on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in person in the Committee Room. There being no further business, on motion made, seconded, and unanimously carried, the meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m. Laurie Hagerich, Recording Secretary