Historic Preservation Commission

MADISON HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting January 9, 2024 Meeting conducted remotely by Zoom Attending: Madison Historic Preservation (“HPC”) Chair Jill Rhodes, Vice Chair Adrienne Novak; Members, Chris Kellogg, Mary Ellen Lenahan, Tyler Merson, new member Anna Cerrutti and John Solu (arriving at 7:50 pm); and Recording Secretary Laurie Hagerich. Absent: Member Max Hart and Council Liaison John Forte. It was noted that Ms. Cerrutti and Mr. Forte were appointed at the Borough Reorganization Meeting on January 2, 2024. One Member of the public, Chris Then, was present. The meeting was called to order by Dr. Rhodes at 7:35 pm. She announced the meeting was called in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act. A verbal roll call was taken. Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the December 12, 2023, Public Meeting were considered. On motion made, seconded, and carried, the minutes were approved as written. Sign & Façade Reviews: 2 Green Village Road (James Building): Photos of a proposed new sign were shown for Dewey’s Comic City, a new business in the James Building. Although the full application has not been submitted, building owner John Solu wanted HPC’s comments in advance. HPC commented that the colors are much brighter than on the present signage and requested clarification. Once the application is submitted, a subcommittee can do a review if the new signage is different from the photos. TCC Reviews: None received by January 5, 2024. New Business: Re-Organization for 2024: Dr. Rhodes asked for nominations for leadership of HPC for 2024. Ms. Lenahan nominated Dr. Rhodes as Chair and Ms. Novak as Vice Chair of the Commission. Dr. Rhodes and Ms. Novak accepted the nominations for a term of 1 year. There being no other nominations, the slate was unanimously approved by all Commission members. Training for Commission Members: It was suggested that instead of attendance at the annual NJ History Conference in June, all Commission members attend a one-day training session. This would be a primer for members of historic preservation commissions, which would include a review of powers and what is expected of historic preservation commissions in the State of NJ. Goals for 2024: Some goals suggested were:  Creation of By-Laws (Ms. Lenahan and Ms. Novak are currently working on this)  Promotional outreach to educate the public about historic preservation and the benefits of coming before HPC for advice. Mr. Kellogg and Ms. Novak agreed to  identify properties of historic interest, to highlight the history of key buildings and neighborhoods. Mayor Conley would support educating the public on the value of historic properties in light of the recent demolition of the 1700’s house on Woodland Avenue. Ms. Cerrutti offered to help with research on historic properties.  Collect data on the number and type of applications reviewed over the course of one year and document which HPC recommendations were followed. Assign interns who work for the Borough in May of each year to research applications over the last 10 years to collect this information, which would help to evaluate how effective the HPC process is. Mr. Merson will work on this project to create a method for this research and take follow-up photos. This data would support HPC in having Borough approval for a stronger ordinance.  Work on Historic Preservation Awards and bring proposed candidates to the March meeting, with awards to be presented in May.  Complete work begun with Attorney Janine Bauer on a draft of Ordinance revision. Old Business: By-laws Update: Ms. Lenahan reported she and Ms. Novak have been reviewing the By-laws of neighboring towns and making them applicable to Madison. They hope to have a first draft ready for circulation to all members for review shortly. Updates from Liaisons: Planning Board: Ms. Lenahan is willing to serve as Liaison in 2024 and she reported there have been no meetings since December. The two developers on the property at 3-9 Central Avenue are combining resources and the applications are still pending. Zoning Board: Ms. Novak will continue as Zoning Board Liaison. She spoke of a subdivision application in the Orchard section which would require 8 variances. There were no other applications of concern to HPC. Open Spaces: Mr. Merson is willing to continue as Open Spaces Liaison in 2024. He spoke about the purchase of the historic Masonic Lodge on Main Street using public open space funds, along with a private contribution. $125,000 is earmarked for improvements in the building, and in 2024 additional funds will be used for structural and accessibility upgrades. Use of the building has not yet been determined. This is a major victory for historic preservation because other alternatives would have involved demolition of this historic building. Historical Society: Mr. Luber will be missed as the Historical Society Liaison, but Ms. Hagerich, who is a Board member of the Society, reported current activities include an updated website, updating the Madison Heritage Trail history book and planning for the Madison History Museum in the East Wing of the Hartley Dodge Memorial. The next Historical Society program will be in March of 2024. Public Comment: Janet Foster, former HPC Chair, attended the meeting as a member of the public and asked about salvaging historic architectural elements from the Weichert buildings on Prospect Street and about documentation of the property before demolition. Documentation was requested in the initial application and HPC did have an opportunity to review it. There was a discussion around salvaging key architectural pieces; however this practice was discouraged as there is nowhere to curate the materials. Ms. Foster also spoke about the deterioration of the façade at 53 Main Street in the Civic and Commercial Historic District. She strongly encouraged HPC to be proactive in pointing these issues out to the Borough Building Department, so they can investigate any unsafe conditions. Dr. Rhodes will follow up with the Building Department to ensure maintenance requirements are enforced. Chris Then said he completed his application for appointment to HPC and is waiting for review by the Borough. Other Business: There was discussion of salvaging items before demolition at the Central Avenue project. There was discussion of whether any of the smaller buildings could be moved to another location, possibly to a public park where the story of the buildings and their significance could be told. Three buildings at this site were certified as contributing structures, and the Planning Board should be made aware of the significance of these buildings during the second round of hearings. Ms. Foster strongly encouraged awarding the Historic Preservation Award to Martin Heller for his part in contributing to the purchase of the Masonic Lodge. Future Meetings, Adjournment: The next meeting will be on Tuesday, February 13, 2024. There being no further business, on motion made, seconded, and unanimously carried, the meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m. Laurie Hagerich, Recording Secretary