This is why Grovers need to pay attention to HPC issues. Blogfinger file photo. ©
The Township Committee is having a first reading of the new HPC guidelines this Monday at 7:00. The Historical Society sent out an unsigned email stating,
“These new guidelines are very damaging to the historic district and threaten our historic designation. I’m hoping to get a good showing at the meeting to voice our concern.
The draft can be found on the township web site under committee agenda for Dec. 12. Scroll all the way to the bottom .
Thanks for any help you can offer.”
Below is the official announcement by Neptune Township regarding the HPC guidelines ordinance:
ORDINANCE NO. 16-45
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AND SUPPLEMENTING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF NEPTUNE BY AMENDING SECTION 508, ENTITLED, “HISTORIC PRESERVATION DESIGN GUIDELINES”
WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Design Guidelines have needed amendment from time to time based on changed circumstances,
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Township Committee of the Township of Neptune in the County of Monmouth in the State of New Jersey that the Land Development Ordinance, Volume II Section 508, entitled, “Historic Preservation Design Guidelines” is hereby amended as follows:
§508 – Historic Preservation Design Guidelines.
c. The Design Criteria in Guidelines: The aforesaid Guidelines, also known as the “Ocean Grove Historic District Architectural Design Guidelines for Residential Structures” are hereby adopted as an integral part of this Ordinance and incorporated in the Ordinance by reference to the Guidelines available as part of this Ordinance for review in the Clerk’s Office of Neptune Township. Future amendments to the Guidelines, where minor in nature; that is, not amending the entire Guideline document, may be amended by Resolution with all dates of amendments noted in the Guideline document.
All Ordinances or parts of Ordinances that are inconsistent herewith are repealed, but only to the extent of such inconsistency.
The amended Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon its passage and the publication as required by law.
APPROVED ON FIRST READING: APPROVED, PASSED, AND ADOPTED:
___________________________ Richard J. Cuttrell,
Municipal Clerk
___________________________ Kevin B. McMillan,
Mayor
Editor’s Note:
Here is a link to read the guidelines:
www.neptunetownship.org/agendas-minutes/township-committee
Click on Dec 12 in the agenda column and then scroll down to Ordinance 16-45 and then keep scrolling down and you will find the Guidelines dated October, 2016.
But where are the latest changes? Is there an official document that enumerates the changes? And who wrote these Guideline changes and why?
Someone sent us a notice from the OGHOA which said, “A key change will limit application of the design guidelines to the street-facing facade only of a building. The result of this change alone is not difficult to imagine. The sides and backs of homes could be faced with different materials, and historically appropriate materials would no longer be a requirement on non-street-facing facades.”
—Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
ETTA JAMES