A little more than a year ago, Wil Gipp noticed a woman taking photos in his neighborhood. When Gipp asked what was going on, the woman said it had to do with a proposed new historic district.
Gipp and about 25 others attended Tuesday’s Historic Preservation Commission meeting to press for answers to the same question, claiming they have received no further information. Meanwhile, Gipp presented the commission members with petitions signed by residents who do not want their homes to be part of a new historic district.
The new district under consideration is bordered by Park Avenue, East Ninth Street, Third Place, Carnegie Avenue, Watchung Avenue, Woodland Avenue, Marlborough Avenue and Thornton Avenue, with a small jog on Hillside Avenue, according to a map Gipp distributed. It contains 413 buildings, and a completed survey by Preservationist Gail Hunton will be presented at the commission’s Sept. 28 meeting. Commissioners pointed out there are still several steps to go before the district is designated, including notifying every property owner by certified mail for a “yes” or “no” on the designation.
Gipp contended that the so-called opt-out process will be flawed, because a non-response will be counted as approval of the designation. A 51 percent favorable response will result in the commission recommending designation to the Planning Board, which will in turn recommend it to the City Council. Once the district is designated, all property owners will be subject to rules including review of any exterior changes by the commission in order to obtain a “certificate of appropriateness.”
Marlborough Avenue resident Demetrius Carson strongly objected to the possible designation, saying, “I have a really hard problem with people telling me what I can do with my house.”
Carson was under the impression that the commission had powers even over what color he could paint his house, but Commissioner Jan Jasper said, “People are not able to force their little whims on your décor.”
Hunton asked the crowd to think of the proposed district as a “study area.”
“Part of the study is learning that there are some objections,” she said.
Gipp said Chetwynd Avenue residents were “100 percent” against the proposal.
Speaking in favor of historic preservation, resident Oscar Riba said, “It is important to have a watchdog group that is looking out for the preservation of properties.”
Riba said the movement was not intended to make people spend more money on their homes, but that it “maintains and preserves the overall look” of a neighborhood.
After a couple hours of discussion, some residents expressed a better understanding of the process that has resulted in designation of six residential districts and three others so far. But Gipp said he still felt the new proposal was unfair and vowed to help people “who don’t want it.” Citing the collapse and demolition of a building in the North Avenue Historic District earlier this year, he called the city’s preservation movement “dysfunctional.”
--Bernice Paglia
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The HPC has done a terrible job keeping potentially affected people informed. If this is a foreshadow of how they treat people, I am absolutely against this. Initially, I was open to listening to what the HPC has to offer, but their lack of consideration of their neighbors is unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I called the HPC to ask if they could help me in identifying a company who did wood window replacements. That was 3 years ago;I am still waiting.
Beyond the fancy sign on the street stating you are in an Historic District, City Hall should concentrate on sweeping streets, potholes and plowing snow.
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate that Mr. Gipp so misinformed. I live in the Netherwood Historic District and it's been a good thing for the neighborhood. A good thing for Plainfield.
ReplyDeleteWhen Mr. Gipp mentions that Chetwynd Ave is 100 percent against the district does that survey include the boarded up house at the top of the block? Probably not.
It is this type of ignorance that keeps this City from moving forward.
I live within the Hillside Avenue Historic District and I am giving this warning: Don't let them do it!
ReplyDeleteWil Gipp says, an adult would sign their name. Anonymous really isn't appropriate.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, people should not confuse "not liking the restrictions" or "disagreeing with the HPC" for being "misinformed." The facts speak plainly: historic district designation bring added restrictions, added requirements and added costs.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing that says people cannot voluntarily adhere to historic guidelines. One need not be in a district to do this.
There also seems to be some hangup over the possibility of not liking a neighbor's choices for their home improvements. So what! How un-American to foist one's likes and tastes on another!
Commssion member Lawrence Ferrara made a comment at the 8/24 meeting about how homes are the foundation upon which our city was built. I would like to take that one step further: Freedom is the foundation upon which our country was built.
As for the point made at the 8/24 meeting by commission member Jan Jasper about how designation improves real estate values, even if that's true, selling becomes more difficult because not all buyers want to deal with the regulations. Some buyers, including some who would make very nice neighbors, won't even consider a home in an historic district.