A debate that hasn't exactly mended fences between neighboring property owners continued last Tuesday, as Borough government was thrust into debate on whether parts of the town can fall under historic designation.
The dialogue focuses on a portion of the Borough's Morven Tract, which encompasses 50 properties in the western section. For some residents refuse to accept the proposed tearing down of older structures for new ones that they perceive to be out of neighborhood character.
Last Tuesday residents who have battled with government-imposed property regulations returned to the fray.
Fernando Guerrero, of Hodge Road, cited an "incredible burden" on the property owner and said that if houses in this district were to fall under a new category, the review process for property alterations would have to be carefully marked. "The process is absolutely critical here, and we need to work that out to ease people's concerns," he said.
In neighborhoods that are labeled with historic designation, like the Borough's Mercer Hill and Bank Street districts, an applicant must appear before the municipal Historic Preservation Review Committee (HPRC), which serves as an advisory wing of the zoning board.
Frank Petrilli, also of Hodge, said that limitations on the rights of the property owner could impact house sales in the area: "I'm not sure I would have bought my home if it were in a historic district."
But Cecelia Tazelaar, a current member and past chair of the HPRC, refuted assertions that historic designation would negatively impact the rights of the property owner and the concerns that perceived limitations would devalue properties. "No reduction in property values has been found as a result of historic designation," she said, citing a 1997 joint report by the Rutgers Center for Urban Policy Research and the New Jersey Historic Trust.
That sentiment was backed by John Heilner of Library Place, who said historic designation would not only have a negligible impact on property values, but would serve as a safeguard for existing houses.
In the meantime, Borough zoning officer Derek Bridger said a survey involving inventory of the properties in the proposed tract would have to be conducted, but that this area, roughly bounded by portions of Library Place, Hodge Road, and Bayard Lane, while encompassing Morven Place and Boudinot Street, was just a small portion of the entire Morven Tract, which the Princeton Community Master Plan earmarks as an area for historic consideration.
Council President Peggy Karcher said she would like to see grant funding put into place for any survey before any research is conducted. "I'm reluctant to pay for a survey in any neighborhood in a tight budget year," she said.
Mr. Bridger said he would research potential grant funding through the state's Historic Preservation Office.