>Mr. Arthur Wrubel, Chairman of Ridgewood’s Historic Preservation Commission.
No change to any building facade, lighting, signage, sidewalk, street, curb, roof, gutter, chimney, window, door, etc. within Ridgewood’s Central Business District may be made unless Mr. Wrubel and his Commission approve it.
The Fly asks: is this too much power placed in the hands of one person?
§ 29-10. Responsibilities.
The Historic Preservation Commission shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
A.
To identify, record and maintain a system for survey and inventory of all buildings, sites, places, landmarks and structures of historical or architectural significance based on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation (Standards and Guidelines for Identification) and to aid the public in understanding their worth, methods of preservation, techniques of gathering documentation and related matters.
B.
To advise the Planning Board on the relationship of the Historic Preservation Plan Element of the Master Plan to other Master Plan elements.
C.
To advise the Planning Board on the inclusion of historic sites and landmarks in the recommended Capital Improvement Program.
D.
To advise the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment on applications for development pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-110.
E.
To provide written reports pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-111 on the application of the Zoning Ordinance provisions concerning historic preservation.
F.
To carry out such other advisory, educational and informational functions as will promote historic preservation in the municipality.
G.
The Commission shall have all of the responsibilities detailed in N.J.S.A. 40:55D-109 and as the same may hereafter be amended and supplemented.
§ 29-11. Report.
A.
A report of the Historic Preservation Commission issued by the Historic Preservation Commission shall be required before a preservation permit is issued for any of the following or before work can commence on any of the following within a historic district or on a historic site:
(1)
Demolition of all or part of any building, improvement, site, place or structure.
(2)
Relocation of any building, improvement, site, place or structure.
(3)
Change in the exterior appearance of any building, improvement, site, place or structure by addition, reconstruction, alteration, partial demolition or dismantling or repair, which change is visible from a public street. Exterior change for all primary and accessory structures shall include but is not limited to removal, repair or replacement of windows, doors, surfaces, facades, attachments, stairs, steps, porches, signs, walls, fences, antennas, solar panels, lighting and sidewalks, including sidewalks located within the public right-of-way, where work is being performed by a private property owner.
(4)
Any addition to or new construction of a principal or accessory building or structure.
B.
A report of the Historic Preservation Commission shall not be required before a preservation permit is issued by the Administrative Officer for the following:
(1)
Changes to the interior of structures.
(2)
Repair or exact replacement to any existing improvement, provided that the work does not alter the exterior appearance of the structure. In the event, however, that repair work is being undertaken on a building with previously installed noncontributing or disharmonious features, the provisions of this subsection shall not apply. The following are the types of activities permitted under this exemption:
(a)
Identical replacement of existing windows and doors.
(b)
Repairs of existing windows and doors and the installation of storm doors and windows that do not change their design, scale or appearance.
(c)
Maintenance and repair of existing roofing materials involving no change in the design, scale or appearance of the structure.
(d)
Structural repairs which do not alter the exterior appearance of the structure.
(e)
Maintenance, repair or replacement of existing clapboards, shingles or other siding with identical material.
(f)
Exterior or interior painting.
