For some time now, we’ve been keeping you posted on A763/S2570, which would establish a program for the leasing of state-owned historic sites in NJ to individuals, families, and businesses, and would also allow non-profits that currently can lease from the state to sublease to these groups. This bill would mirror similar programs in area states such as Maryland and Delaware, opening up entirely new stewardship opportunities for properties that currently have no stewards. The bill was passed unanimously by the NJ Assembly on February 17 of this year, and was then approved with unanimous support by the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism, and Historic Preservation Committee in May.
The bill now has only two opportunities- Dec. 15 and Jan. 9- for a vote by the full Senate before the legislature reorganization in January. The reorganization means that the bill dies, and the entire process of approval will have to begin again at some future date. We can’t let this bill die!
MAKE A CALL TO YOUR SENATOR TODAY- urge them to support this bill and to press Senate President Stephen Sweeney to post this bill for a full Senate vote. All Senators need to be reminded of this bill, but it is doubly important that we reach out to Democratic Senators, as they are going to be most influential in encouraging Sen. Sweeney to post this for a vote.
A big plus: Senator Sweeney (District 3) himself, along with Senators Dawn Marie Addiego (District 8), Anthony Bucco (District 25), Shirley Turner (District 15), and Jim Whelan (District 2) all supported this bill in committee hearings this past May. They should be thanked for this support, reminded of how important this bill is to New Jersey’s historic resources, and encouraged to press Senator Sweeney to post this bill will no further amendments for a full Senate vote.
You can also reach out to Senate President Stephen Sweeney‘s office directly: (856) 251-9801 or via email. Let the staff person know the you appreciate Sen. Sweeney’s previous support of this bill, and that this bill should be posted for a full Senate vote with no further amendments, so that all of the hard work already put into this bill does not go to waste. You can use the talking points below to emphasize how important this bill is to state-owned historic treasures.
Talking points :
- This bill would authorize New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection to establish a program for the leasing of state-owned historic sites in NJ for state-owned historic resources on lands administered by the department
- the state owns thousands of historic properties for which it does not have the funds or capacity to properly care. Currently, these resources can be leased by non-profits. This bill would expand that leasing program to allow leasing by private individuals and businesses, and would allow non-profit lessees to sublease these properties to private individuals and businesses.
- In exchange for low or abated rent, the tenant would occupy the property and be responsible for restoration and maintenance of the property.
- The Department of Environmental Protection, including the State Historic Preservation Office, would have to approve all restoration and repair work on the premises, ensuring that it meets preservation standards
- I support this bill because leasing would open a new opportunity for restoration and use of thousands of historic properties, that currently sit vacant and deteriorating, to be restored and put back into use. This arrangement benefits the public by preserving historic resources, reducing the opportunity for vandalism and other detrimental behavior at or on these properties, improving the appearance and safety of state-administered lands.
- Many other states, including Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, have successfully instituted similar programs.
Pass the message along to anyone you know that might be willing to make a call to save this bill. Every voice counts!
State-Owned Historic Places: How Will The New Parks Plan Affect Them?
On November 2, the Christie administration released “Sustainable Funding Strategy for New Jersey State Parks,” a plan aimed at addressing the current and future stewardship of New Jersey’s state parks. The plan outlines intended steps toward
Waterloo Village is just one of the state-owned historic places that cuold benefit from the state's new plan for leveraging private investment for New Jersey's state parks.Photo courtesy of the Mount Olive Chronicle.
addressing the budgetary issues that threaten our state parks from all angles.
The basic goals of the plan are to increase the revenues generated by state parks, re-structure the way that the park system’s budget is funded, and address deficiencies in services at parks. The plan focuses on partnering with private and non-profit partners for various stewardship and operational needs, such as concessions, that are currently largely the responsibility of the state alone.
Overall, this plan is potentially encouraging news for historic resources on state-owned lands. While in an ideal world, the state would be able to maintain and operate the historic resources it owns, the reality is that the state of New Jersey owns thousands of historic properties, in various states of repair, for which it will not, in the foreseeable future, have the funds for appropriate stewardship. While certainly, detailed guidelines and case-by-case analysis will be necessary, privatization opportunities could save countless historic resources that otherwise will go without even basic maintenance, much less real stewardship, because there’s simply no money and no one to take them on.
The details will be significant, and the question are many. What uses will be allowed? If a resource requires rehabilitation before use, who will oversee this and how can we ensure that work is completed according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation? How will the state incentivise rehabilitation of existing structures over new construction? How will resources be prioritized? Plans involving historic resources should be developed on a case-by-case basis, and monitored for compliance with historic preservation standards and to ensure protection of resource integrity, and it will be up to the preservation community at large to stay on top of how this plan plays out in order to ensure that historic resources are prioritized and treated appropriately. But in general, an initiative to leverage outside investment could open up new opportunities for the rehabilitation and use of historic properties. Even if only a handful of historic resources are able to remain in/transition into use via this plan, this would be better than the alternative- shuttered, vacant, deteriorating buildings- if new stewardship opportunities are not pursued.
You can read the “Sustainable Funding Strategy for New Jersey State Parks” plan here, and the Governor’s press release on the plan here.
And don’t forget about a related initiative, Bill A763/S2570, which would allow the leasing of historic resources in exchange for rehabilitation and stewardship. We have indications that this bill may be up for voting in the NJ Senate sometime soon. Stay tuned for action alerts…
Hopewell Railroad Station, Hopewell Borough. Restored using Transportation Enhancements funds.
This just in from Preservation Action: contact your U.S. Senators TODAY to ask them to vote “NO” on amendment #821 to S.1596, which would redirect funding for the Transportation Enhancements program to bridge repair.
TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENTS THREATENED…AGAIN
Greetings Preservationists:
Last week the preservation community rallied against an amendment offered by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that would have eliminated funding for Transportation Enhancements – the largest source for federal historic preservation funding. Ultimately, we were successful in defeating this attempt. However, we have just learned that ANOTHER AMENDMENT IS EXPECTED NEXT WEEK by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) that would redirect funding for Transportation Enhancement projects to bridge repair.
On November 1st, the Senate will resume their consideration of H.R. 2112 – the “minibus” spending package that contains three spending bills, including S.1596 for Transportation-HUD.It is likely the amendment (#821) will be considered early in the process.
The Transportation Enhancements program, administered by the Federal Highway Administration, provides funding for historic preservation projects related to surface transportation. Ten percent of Federal Surface Transportation Program funds are set aside to fund 12 categories of projects.These categories include a plethora of activities related to historic preservation: purchase of easements on historic properties, rehabilitation of historic buildings, landscaping in historic areas, archeological planning and research, and scenic or historic highway programs. These projects create jobs, leverage private investment, and enhance our quality of life while alsoenhancing our transportation infrastructure.
Absecon Lighthouse, Atlantic City. Another exemplary Transportation Enhancements project.
Certainly our nation’s bridges need support. However, targeting the Transportation Enhancements program - which only represents 2% of the entire federal transportation funding stream- does not make sense. This amendment, in fact, would provide so little additional funding for bridges that it would take 80 years to fix the backlog of bridge repairs and achieve “success.” And in the process, the largest source of federal historic preservation funding would be lost.
Once again, we need you to contact your Senators to ask them to vote “NO” on amendment #821 to S.1596 that would redirect funding for the Transportation Enhancements Program to bridge repair.
To learn more about Transportation Enhancements, visit the National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse website. To see a list of the hundreds of projects in New Jersey that have benefited from Transportation Enhancements funding, click here>>. Pick a project in your community or one that that you love and tell NJ Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez about it and how Transportation Enhancements made it possible.
Speak out for historic preservation funding!
A Landmark Loss In Newark: Polhemus House to be Razed
What was touted as one of the greatest preservation victories in Newark’s history just four years ago became this week what promises to be one of the city’s most significant recent losses.
The Newark Museum has received reluctant approval from both the Newark Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission (NLHPC) and the New Jersey Historic Sites Council (NJHSC) to demolish the Polhemus House, an 1859 row house located at 69
The Polhemus House. (image courtesy of the Star-Ledger)
Washington Street. The building is owned by the city, but leased by the museum, under terms that render the museum alone responsible for the building’s care and maintenance. The museum vacated the building in 2004, and after local advocates expressed concern about the building’s future, it was listed as one of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in New Jersey in 2005. In 2007, the museum announced an expansion plan that included rehabilitation of the Polhemus House.
Now, in 2011, the need for immediate action is clear: the Polhemus House is extremely deteriorated. Conditions are serious enough that Robert Silman Associates, an experienced, preservation-conscious engineering firm, earlier this year declared the building an imminent danger and recommended close to $2 million dollars worth of emergency stabilization work. The bottom line is economics: the estimated price for full restoration of the Polhemus House comes to $7 million- $5 million even after initial stabilization. This amounts to a cost of approximately $1000 per square foot, more than triple the cost of a typical rehabilitation project.
The extremely unusual numbers result from work required due in part to what experts (Robert Silman Associates and Building Conservation Associates) deem to be flaws in the house’s original construction. The building’s mortar has turned to sand in many places- bricks can be removed by hand. Testing indicates that the original mortar mix was likely of low quality, and that additionally, the bricks of the exterior walls were laid in reverse of most construction of that time, trapping moisture to a greater degree than it would have had it been constructed in the typical fashion. Mortar deterioration has literally resulted in facades that are disconnected from interior bricks and from one another. Of course, it cannot be denied that long-term inadequate maintenance and periods of vacancy have worsened these conditions.
The sad truth is that at the exact moment when conditions at the Polhemus House have reached a point that thorough, complete stabilization can wait no longer, museum funding has also reached an all-time low. Although the museum has expended over $1 million on maintenance and planning for the Polhemus House since 2005 alone, during the past 30 years, museum funding has overwhelmingly been committed to other activities. These activities do include historic preservation: the museum’s campus is comprised completely of six additional historic buildings.
The NLHPC and the HSC have required mitigation in the form of documentation, an exhibit, and interpretive signage, and have refused to allow demolition prior to review and approval of a landscape plan for the vacant lot and a salvage plan for significant architectural elements. Hence, we can hope that the building will not be forgotten. But nothing can replace a historic building. The demolition of the Polhemus House will constitute a tragic loss to the James Street Commons Historic District and the city of Newark.
People Preserving Places: The Camden Shipyard and Maritime Museum
This guest blog was written by PNJ volunteer Lauren Lembo. Lauren is an advocate for the preservation of New Jersey’s historic sites. She holds degrees in Art and Education, and plans to pursue a PhD in History.
The Church of Our Saviour is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as “an excellent example of small-scale Gothic architecture designed by noted Philadelphia architect George W. Hewitt in 1880.” The church buildings are comprised of an 1892 parish hall and 1912 rectory. The church historically served a congregation linked to the nearby shipbuilding and maritime industries. The magnificent sanctuary building was constructed using ballast stones brought from Greenland on the return voyage of Admiral Peary’s famous voyage attempting to be the first to reach the North Pole.
The buildings fell into a deteriorated condition after the Episcopal Diocese abandoned the property in 1995. Prior to that time, the diocese had rented space in the buildings for use as a daycare and after school program, but was not able to keep up with
Camden's Church of Our Saviour is being rehabilitated into a community-centered museum celebrating Camden's rich legacy of maritime industry. Read on to see how the Museum is engaging diverse cultures and age group's in Camden's heritage.
maintenance and repair costs.
The concept of the Camden Shipyard and Maritime Museum began in 2003 with the involvement of individuals from diverse backgrounds. Much emphasis was placed on the interest of revitalizing the maritime oriented neighborhoods of Yorkship Village (now Fairview) and Waterfront South, and preserving the area’s historic integrity. The BOBS Plan (Boulevard of Boats and Ships), enacted in 2002 by Alley Friends Architects of Philadelphia, was a key catalyst for the museum project. The BOBS Plan calls for the preservation of the Camden-Philadelphia waterfronts and views them as vital links to America’s maritime history.
In 2006, Heart of Camden Inc. (a community development corporation) partnered with the newly formed museum board to develop a maritime museum plan. Later in the year, Heart of Camden was able to purchase the former Church of Our Saviour. At the time of purchase, the roof was leaking, serious water damage was present in the chapel, and the building suffered from general neglect. The museum board immediately began to develop a strategic plan for the development of the museum while pursuing funding to improve the buildings. Temporary repairs to the rectory allowed offices and meeting rooms to be established there.
Partnerships were simultaneously developed with a diverse array of local and state governments as well as local community-based organizations. These partnerships have assisted project staff in raising over $600,000 from a wide variety of public and private sources. These funds were designated to repair the roof, purchase heating and security systems, hire a professional planning firm to design the new museum, and commission a statue of the Arctic Explorer Mathew Henson. According to Dr. Michael Lang, the museum’s Director, additional grant applications totaling over $400,000 are pending to cover further renovations and museum programs. In addition, the generosity of volunteer labor by AmeriCorps/NCCC and many college groups has resulted in significant clean up and painting sessions at the buildings, which are currently open to the public by appointment. The museum’s ambition is to have the church buildings ready for daily public attendance between 2012 and 2013.
The Camden Shipyard and Maritime Museum will present a variety of educational programs and exhibitions related to local and regional maritime history, as well as host a selection of family-oriented recreational boating programs. The museum will be an interactive, cultural and educational facility. It will have several focal themes, including exhibits related to West Jersey Shipbuilding and Shipbuilder Communities, to Arctic Exploration, and Recreational Boating.
The museum will also collect, conserve, exhibit, and interpret artifacts related to Camden’s maritime heritage, and celebrate the diverse array of maritime industries and communities that contributed to the fame of Camden, once known as “The Greatest Little City.” A particular focus Read more…
Breaking News: NJ DEP and Mercer County Reach Agreement to Preserve Majority of Petty’s Run Archeological Site in Trenton
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection released the news just this morning that instead of wholesale burial, a compromise has been reached that will preserve a significant amount of the Petty’s Run Archeological Site (one of 2011′s 10 Most Endangered Historic 
Places in New Jersey). The plan will create a visitor-ready site with interpretive signage. See the release text below, and stay tuned as further details are announced. PNJ applauds the State of New Jersey, the Department of Environmental Protection, and Mercer County for their willingness to reconsider this important resource and pursue a creative partnership in support of heritage.
(11/P116) TRENTON — The Department of Environmental Protection and Mercer County have agreed to a joint, cost-shared project to preserve and restore the Petty’s Run archeological site in Trenton and to create a historical interpretive center at the site, which is located adjacent to the Statehouse, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin and Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes announced today.
The agreement calls for the State to contribute $800,000 to create and maintain an interpretive site, inclusive of $500,000 for design and construction, plus an estimated $300,000 for maintenance and upkeep over a 10-year period. Mercer County will contribute $800,000 to support design and construction — a contribution soon to be formalized by the Mercer County Freeholders. Any cost overruns for design and construction will be shared equally between the State and Mercer County.
The proposal will be presented to the State Capital Joint Management Commission, which oversees the Statehouse complex, at its meeting this morning, Sept. 16, in Trenton.
“We are pleased to be working with Mercer County to keep open a site that has historical significance for Trenton and the State of New Jersey, one that has yielded valuable insights into more than a century’s worth of industrial development and generated some keen interest from our historical community,” said Commissioner Martin. “Importantly, we will not just keep the site Read more…
From Paterson to Pemberton, Hurricane Irene is “devastating”
Flooding in Paterson (Image courtesy of ctpost.com)
PNJ continues to receive updates regarding the affects of Hurricane Irene and her aftermath on NJ’s historic treasures. The federal government officially declared New Jersey a disaster area on Wednesday of this week, and in many parts of the state, the news is not good.
One of the hardest-hit places: Paterson, home of such celebrated landmarks as the new Great Falls National Park and Hinchliffe Stadium. President Obama will visit the city on Sunday, but much of the overflowing Passaic River may remain in the streets even then.
In Hopwell Township, the towpath separating the Delaware and Raritan Canal from the Delaware River gave way. 90 feet of canal bank and towpath were washed away. The canal is now drained in some areas, and significantly eroded at the breach site.
In Hammonton, Batsto Village, a state park renowned for its tours and educational programs, was flooded and is closed pending investigation and restoration.
And a heartbreaking report out of Pemberton: the weekend storm flooded out the basement of the North Pemberton Railroad Station, a restored historic site owned by the municipality, damaging scores of historical books, logs and photographs. The damaged historical documents were being stored on the floor in the station’s basement. Members of the Pemberton Historic Trust are attempting to dry out some of the irreplaceable archives.
We’ll continue to keep you updated on the impacts of recent natural events on historic New Jersey.
