Nutley Community Preservation Pa

Nutley Community Preservation Partnership

A bit of background

Back in 2000, the League of Women Voters drafted a proposed Historic Preservation Ordinance which would cover designated historic structures and historic districts within the township. The ordinance would create a Historic Preservation Commission, a body that would oversee the historic designation and preservation efforts within the community. The board would suggest the designation of any further buildings or districts as historic. Township commissioners would have the final vote on any inclusion.

The League compiled a list of structures which it recommended for historic designation, including the Van Riper House Museum on River Road, the Nutley Museum building on Church Street, and Kingsland Manor on Kingsland Road.

Since the initial proposal, the ordinance has languished with the various sets of commissioners who have served during the past six or so years.

The NCPP in the coming months hopes to persuade the mayor and commissioners to reconsider the passage of a historic preservation ordinance. The timing is appropriate, since an increasing number of Nutley's historic buildings are being demolished in the recent wave of overdevelopment.

In its current form, the proposed ordinance imposes no restrictions on the majority of homeowners. The only areas with restrictions would be the Enclosure and Erie Place Historic Districts. The list of restrictions imposed on these structures is very limited, and a homeowner can choose not to be included.

It’s time to save what’s left of Old Nutley, and preserve what remains of our architectural history. Many other communities in our area, including Newark and Montclair, have such ordinances. Nutley should not be left behind. We’ve already lost so much in a short period of time.

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Mayor Forms Committee to Study Historic Preservation

The next meeting of the Historic Preservation Committee will be February 7 and will include two guest from
the State Historic Preservation Office Grants and Publications division. Mayor Joanne Cocchiola announced the formation the committee to study the feasibility of a Historic Preservation Ordinance for the township. The group first met in October and consists of several members of the Planning Board, several builders who do work in the township, and two members of the NCPP. The mayor stated that the proposal previously presented by the League of Women Voters was too onerous; specifically, designating an entire street or area, such as Enclosure, as a historic zone might infringe upon the rights of homeowners who did not wish to be included in such a designation. She went on to ask the Planning Board to draft a revision through the work of a committee.

Cocchiola added that she would never want the township to be in the position of losing a landmark structure, such as the Nutley Bank Building on Franklin Avenue (at Chestnut Street) again without having any means of protecting such a structure, and therefore an ordinance was in order.

Nutley Community Preservation Partnership


	A bit of background Back in 2000, the League of Women Voters drafted a proposed Historic Preservation Ordinance which would cover designated historic structures and historic districts within the township. The ordinance would create a Historic Preservation Commission, a body that would oversee the historic designation and preservation efforts within the community. The board would suggest the designation of any further buildings or districts as historic. Township commissioners would have the final vote on any inclusion. The League compiled a list of structures which it recommended for historic designation, including the Van Riper House Museum on River Road, the Nutley Museum building on Church Street, and Kingsland Manor on Kingsland Road. Since the initial proposal, the ordinance has languished with the various sets of commissioners who have served during the past six or so years. The NCPP in the coming months hopes to persuade the mayor and commissioners to reconsider the passage of a historic preservation ordinance. The timing is appropriate, since an increasing number of Nutley's historic buildings are being demolished in the recent wave of overdevelopment. In its current form, the proposed ordinance imposes no restrictions on the majority of homeowners. The only areas with restrictions would be the Enclosure and Erie Place Historic Districts. The list of restrictions imposed on these structures is very limited, and a homeowner can choose not to be included. It’s time to save what’s left of Old Nutley, and preserve what remains of our architectural history. Many other communities in our area, including Newark and Montclair, have such ordinances. Nutley should not be left behind. We’ve already lost so much in a short period of time. Update... Update... Update... Update... Update... Update... Mayor Forms Committee to Study Historic Preservation The next meeting of the Historic Preservation Committee will be February 7 and will include two guest from the State Historic Preservation Office Grants and Publications division. Mayor Joanne Cocchiola announced the formation the committee to study the feasibility of a Historic Preservation Ordinance for the township. The group first met in October and consists of several members of the Planning Board, several builders who do work in the township, and two members of the NCPP. The mayor stated that the proposal previously presented by the League of Women Voters was too onerous; specifically, designating an entire street or area, such as Enclosure, as a historic zone might infringe upon the rights of homeowners who did not wish to be included in such a designation. She went on to ask the Planning Board to draft a revision through the work of a committee. Cocchiola added that she would never want the township to be in the position of losing a landmark structure, such as the Nutley Bank Building on Franklin Avenue (at Chestnut Street) again without having any means of protecting such a structure, and therefore an ordinance was in order.