MINUTES
OF THE
CRANBURY TOWNSHIP
HISTORIC PRESERVATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
CRANBURY, NEW JERSEY
MIDDLESEX COUNTY
TIME AND
PLACE OF MEETING
The regular meeting of the Cranbury
Township Historic Preservation Advisory Commission was held at the Town Hall,
Cranbury, New Jersey, on October 4, 2005 at 7:30 p.m.
STATEMENT OF ADEQUATE NOTICE
Pursuant of the Sunshine Law,
adequate notice in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act (N.J.S.A.
10:4-5) was provided on January 4, 2005 of this meeting’s date, time, place and
agenda was mailed to the news media, posted on the Township bulletin board,
mailed to those requesting personal notice and filed with the Municipal Clerk.
CALL TO ORDER
With a quorum present, Chairperson
Bobbie Marlowe called the meeting to order and acted as the Chairperson
thereof, and, Linda M. Scott, Secretary for the Committee, performed as
Secretary.
MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE
Kate McConnell, Diane Stasi, Don Jo
Swanagan, and Chairperson Bobbie Marlowe, were present. Harry Williams informed the secretary that he
would be unable to attend.
MINUTES
The minutes of the September 6, 2005
meeting were reviewed, amended and then approved. A motion by Diane Stasi to approve, seconded
by Kate McConnell, all were in favor.
The minutes of September 20, 2005 meeting were reviewed. Secretary will make the amended changes and
then place them on the next agenda for review.
APPLICATIONS
30
Liedtke Drive, (B21, L4.10) In Surround Zone; Contractor Bill Hoey of NJ
Solar Power, LLC and homeowner Sudhakar Venkatesh were present for discussion
of the proposed solar panels to be installed on the roof of existing
house. Mr. Hoey provided an actual proposed
unit panel for viewing purposes proposed for installation. The panels, if installed properly, sit flat 3”
to 4” above the roof, approximately 8” from the gutter and close to the valley. These panels, for optimum efficiency, should
face south. The front of 30 Liedtke
Drive faces south, so the solar panel would be mounted on the front roof. HPAC informed the contractor and homeowner
that the homes built on Liedtke Drive are built within close proximity of the
Historic District and that consideration to the front façade was taken into
account. It was mentioned that the homeowner should
inform the neighbors of his proposal for solar panel installation. For a better perspective and visual
understanding, HPAC would like to view a house that has these panels installed.
The home with installed solar panels is 5
Deer Cross Lane, North Brunswick. This
application will return on October 18 for further review.
22
Maplewood Avenue, (B33, L21) (C) In Historic District; Homeowner Brian
Deverin was present for his application.
Returning application does not include garage, per homeowner, he will
return at a later date for the garage.
The rear/side porch application has details submitted for HPAC to
review. This porch will have oak tongue
and groove flooring to match front porch. The roof will have shingled GAF Ultraline
dimensional shingles, with wainscoting underneath. The siding was discussed at previous meetings
where it was agreed that the original wood siding would remain untouched due to
its well-preserved condition. Discussion
lead to the window issue. HPAC
members had a chance to visit and review
the site of the temporarily installed window.
The sash and muntins do not have the same dimension as the original
windows. It was felt, by HPAC, that this
window does not compliment this structure.
Information was provided to homeowner regarding windows that are more
appropriate. Research will be performed
with a return visit to report on the findings. HPAC approved the porch application, all in
favor.
DISCUSSION
The agenda
applications were put aside for the public portion of the meeting. Present were
Richard Stannard, Pari Stave, Betty Wagner, Bill Bunting and Mark
Berkowsky. Mark distributed printed
comments regarding proposed Chapters 21 and 93.
In Chapter
21, Mark expressed that 21-3B1 & 2 should have “if not residents meet the
criteria” added to the end of paragraph. 21-7B add “the Commission’s files
include references to Cranbury Historical & Preservation Society’s (CHPS’s)
files and records, where much historical data exists”.
The
handout recommended changes include Chapter 93-2 to add SHALL-means mandatory
requirement; SHOULD-means strongly recommended suggestion. 93-3A have sentence
modified. 93-4E 4 is a typo error. 93-5A & B clarify sentence. 93-6C-delete “most”
from sentence. Chapter 93-6E3, E4, E5, E8(last sentence), E10, E11a, b and c, E11d,
E12a1, E12a3, E12a6, E12a7, E12a8, E12a9, E12a10, E12b, E12c3, E12c4, E13b, E13d, E14b, E14c, E15a, E15b,
E16, E17, 93-7B4 second and third sentence; all of word “shall” be changed to
“should”. 93-6E8 first sentence change “should”
to “shall”. 93-6E12c1 clarify the end of
sentence. 93-613e change paragraph to
read “Interior storm windows properly designed are preferable. If exterior storm windows are used, they
should not damage or obscure the windows and frames”. 93-E14c change the second
sentence to read “Doors on a new building shall harmonize with the scale,
proportion and rhythm…”. 93-6E15a revise
sentence to read “Open front porches shall not be enclosed in a manner which
results in diminution or loss of historic character by using solid material
such as wood, stucco, or masonry”. Mark
expressed that “shall” and “should” are in places where they are appropriate
but there are general comments that do represent the Secretary of Interior
Standards. Mark summed up by stating
that the lawyers and outside professionals have much to say and that ultimately,
the elected officials are the ones that have to look at this. It is what the citizens of the community who
volunteer our time want. This handout will be attached to the minutes for the
record and will be forwarded to the subcommittee for their review.
Discussion
ensued of the proposed changes. HPAC expressed
that lawyers and other professionals worked to update the ordinance did so that
it is compliant with the Municipal Land Use Law (MLUL), Certified Local
Government (CLG) and The Secretary of Interior Standards. A provision of hardships or the granting of
exceptions does exist. The submitted
changes from Mark will be forward to the committee for their review and
comments.
HPAC
relayed to Richard Stannard that their goal is to work with homeowners and
clarify what is and what is not acceptable. The new ordinance details and guidelines are
much more specific and clearer on what is desire to keep the Historic District
(HD) preserved. Many homeowners in town
feel strongly that the whole look of the HD should be maintained. Then there are those who live in the buffer
zone feel that they do not need to adhere as the HD homes have raised
objections. All agree that the current and future board
members have an ordinance that is clear and concise and is consistent with
state standards for historic preservation.
New owners are moving and they are taking the efforts of renovating,
realizing the value of living in a HD.
Update
status for 7 Stockton Drive, (Block 18.02, Lot 7) (ZBA089-05)
homeowner applied for zoning approval. HPAC reviewed and approved the fence
application in November 2004. A copy of
the HPAC approval letter dated November 19, 2004 was re-submitted to the Zoning
Department.
Bill
Gittings presented a letter documenting that 8 Westminster Place (Block
9, Lot 31) “along
with a structural engineer found
the following unsatisfactory structural conditions. The east half of
the house had severe termite
damage in the floor structure including failed framing. The foundation
is also unsatisfactory. The lower stone portions of the foundation
were bellowing due to soils pressure and portions of the foundation walls above
grade line were only four inches thick and in severely deteriorated
condition.” Pictures supporting his
statements were attached.
APPLICATIONS
1 Cranbury
Neck Road, (Block 21, Lot 18) (C) In Historic District. Application submitted no one present for
porch application. Homeowner would like
to repair the side porch by installing new wooden posts as existing, new tongue
& groove southern pine flooring and the repair and reinstall the existing
rails, spindles and upper spindles at roof.
This replace/repair in kind application was reviewed and approved by
all.
84 North
Main Street, (Block 29, Lot 6) (C/C-) In Historic
District. Application was received on
September 21, 2005 for an emergency re-roofing.
This home is scheduled to be on the house tour so the homeowner was not
in a hurry for this re-roofing application.
HPAC reviewed and approved the application, all in favor.
101
Plainsboro Road, (Block 28, Lot 18) (C) In Historic District. Application was received on September 30,
2005 for the removal of existing angle bay box window to be replaced with a
more sympathetic window. A window of
similar style to the proposed replacement box window exists on the rear of
house. The application and plan was
reviewed and approved by all.
133
Plainsboro Road (Block 23, Lot 20) In Surround Zone. Application was received on September 30,
2005 for an emergency re-roofing. The
time frame for re-roofing structure by the contractor will be after the meeting
of October 4, 2005. This application was
reviewed and approved by all.
ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING
There being no further business, on
motion duly made by Bobbie Marlowe, seconded by Kate McConnell, and carried,
the meeting was thereupon adjourned at 10: 40 pm.
CERTIFICATE OF SECRETARY
I, Undersigned, do hereby certify;
That I am duly acting secretary of the
Cranbury Township Historic Preservation Advisory Commission and,
That the foregoing minutes, of the
Historic Preservation Advisory Commission, held on October 4, 2005, consisting
of 3 pages, constitutes a true and correct copy of the minutes of the said
meeting.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto
do subscribe, my name of said Historic Preservation Advisory Commission this November
1, 2005.
__________________________________________
Linda M. Scott, Secretary