By Anne Levin
A presentation on the Historic Preservation Commission’s (HPC) new design guidelines was delivered at the Monday, September 12, meeting of Princeton Council. Preservation Officer Sara Quinlan and Dominique Hawkins of Preservation Design Partnership took Council through the final draft of the document, a 250-page handbook (available in the meeting agenda) that was over two years in the making.
Designed as a supplementary tool for those who own historic buildings, the guidelines are “a living document that will evolve over time,” said Quinlan. The process involved touring Princeton’s 21 historic districts, monthly committee meetings, preparation of drafts, and hearing public comment before assembling the final draft.
The HPC is expected to adopt the document when it meets on September 22; it comes back to Council on September 28. The lavishly illustrated handbook covers topics ranging from clarifying the local regulatory process to types of masonry and guidelines for paint colors.
Members of Council praised the HPC and the committee for their efforts. Councilman Leighton Newlin, who was on the committee, called it “a labor of love,” adding, “I felt like I was in a high-level graduate class in art history, streetscape, and architecture.”
But Councilman Brian McDonald questioned how much overlap there is in the guidelines between historic preservation and the ordinary maintenance and repair of properties in a historic district. He also asked about enforcement of regulations in the document.
Mayor Mark Freda, who was also on the committee, said it is “a living, breathing document” that can be adjusted.
“I don’t know that we’ve reached perfection, but we’ve made things a lot better for people. This is a step forward, and a good step forward.”
Planning Director Justin Lesko said that while enforcement does exist in historic districts, “we don’t have the eyes or the time to watch all of the parcels in town. This is to make it proactive, so that people will check in before doing ordinary maintenance.”
Some improvements to the guidelines were suggested by members of Council and the public. Bank Street resident Tony Nelessen called the document “an extraordinary effort,” but had questions about the streetscapes, specifically the curbs, sidewalks, trees, and curb edges. “None of that’s here,” he said. “Please think about these elements.”
Resident and historian Clifford Zink praised the effort. “I’ve been here since 1981, and this is the first time we’ve had professional design guidelines,” he said. While he echoed Nelessen’s concerns about streetscapes, “This has been a very good conversation this evening,” he said.
McDonald suggested doing a direct mailing to promote awareness of the guidelines, possibly in residents’ upcoming tax bills. Resident Kip Cherry concurred. “We’ve been talking about these guidelines for years and years,” she said. “This will help a lot with people understanding what the requirements are. It’s all fantastic, and a flyer in the mail wouldn’t be a bad thing.”
Also at the meeting, Council issued proclamations honoring Neal Snyder on his retirement as tax assessor, and celebrating the 11th annual Welcoming Week, which begins on Friday at 4 p.m. at Hinds Plaza.
Council approved an ordinance regarding the Princeton Fire Department amending the code of the former Township of Princeton, and introduced ordinances related to parking on Henry Avenue and updating signage regulations. Resolutions were approved for revocable license agreements with the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra and Princeton Pro Musica, for use of facilities on the former campus of Westminster Choir College.
The next meeting of Princeton Council is Monday, September 28 at 7 p.m. Visit princetonnj.gov for information.