Historic Preservation Committee

Meeting Minutes – May 17, 2012

A meeting of the Mountain Lakes Historic Preservation Committee (“HPC” or the “Committee”) was held on May 17, 2012, in the meeting room at the Mountain Lakes Borough Hall.  In attendance were Co-Chairs Tom Dagger and John Grossmann, Pat Rusak, and Chris Smith.  Roberta Matalon, John Lester, Brigid Walsh, Beth Mauro, Jess Mahony and Borough Council Liaison Peter Holmberg could not make the meeting.

Approval of Prior Meeting’s Minutes

The Committee approved the minutes of the April 19 meeting in the form distributed to the Committee in advance of the meeting. 

Treasurer’s Report

On behalf of the Treasurer, Chris Sheasby, John Grossmann reported the following financial information.

Opening Balance as of April 18, 2012:  $26,643.90

 

Debits:

$118.36           Pat Rusak for supplies

    18.02           Peggy Bulfer for postage

$136.38

 

Credits:

$200.00           centennial banner

  125.00           centennial print

    50.00           centennial notecards

    58.00           historic photos

    29.00           historic photos

$462.00

 

Closing Balance as of May 16, 2012: $26,969.52

 

Archivist’s Report

Pat Rusak reported that she had done some spring cleaning in the archive room, discarding some unimportant materials and rearranging others to provide a bit more elbow room and space for future acquisitions.  Pat mentioned her need for oversized map protectors—which she said cost $83.50 for five.  The Committee approved her request. 

Rusak said the HPC might consider funding a new headstone for the Greenwood Cemetery gravesite of Bel DeRivera, and suggested the Committee might make a Saturday or Sunday field trip to the Boonton cemetery to see her deteriorating headstone and other gravesites of prominent early Mountain Lakes families. 

 

Pat also asked if anyone had a slide viewer or access to one so that she might view a cache of unknown slides given to her from Briarcliff School.

Public Comments

None.

Old Business

Historic Preservation Ordinance

Tom Dagger provided an update on the progress of the Historic Preservation Ordinance.  The ordinance was held up at the Borough Council pending a legal opinion from the Borough Attorney on the need for a Historic Preservation Commission.  Tom reported that, in order to facilitate moving the ordinance forward, the ordinance had been modified to remove the Commission and restore the language under the current ordinance establishing a Committee.  It was anticipated that the ordinance would go back to Council for consideration as early as the meeting on May 29. 

Tom noted that the draft ordinance assigns a number of responsibilities to the Committee in implementing the ordinance, including posting a list of the contributing dwellings eligible for the bulk incentives, providing or making available copies of the Restoration and Renovation Handbook, and documenting the existing condition of each of the contributing dwellings as of the effective date of the ordinance. 

Oral Histories

John Grossmann reported that he had received Part I of the Doug McWilliams oral history back from McWilliams and interviewee Margarethe Laurenzi.  He will review their corrections and clarifications and expects to send it to the webmaster for posting in the next few weeks.

Salvage Trailer

No update on the progress of Keara Walsh’s volunteer effort to create pages for the website showcasing the doors and windows in the trailer inventory. 

Mountain Lakes Day

With no Mountain Lakes Day this year, the Committee recognized that it will need a different way of displaying/announcing the sale of the remaining Centennial Banners.

Centennial Banners

Discussion resumed about how to best sell the banners passed on by the Centennial Committee.  It was decided not to do so via an auction, but rather to take names of interested buyers—at the previous set price of $200—and if interest exceeds demand, to draw names out of a hat.  With the end of school and summer upon us, all felt it best to postpone the sale until the fall.  The sale would be announced on the town website and perhaps on the town sign.  Grossmann said he’d talk to the local newspapers about the possibility of a short article or announcement.

New Business

None.

Date for Next Meeting

Wednesday, June 13, at the Mountain Lakes Borough Hall.

Minutes prepared by John Grossmann and Tom Dagger.