Historic Preservation Committee

Historic Preservation Committee

Meeting Minutes – November 11, 2014

A meeting of the Mountain Lakes Historic Preservation Committee ("HPC" or the "Committee") was held on November 11, 2014, in the basement meeting room at the Mountain Lakes Library. In attendance were Co-Chairs John Grossmann and Tom Dagger, Pat Rusak, Mike DeWitt, Lesley Karczewski, Ginny Cassidy, Katy Roberts, and Borough Liaison Frank Borin. Margaret DeWitt was absent.

Approval of Prior Meeting’s Minutes

The minutes of the October 16, 2014 meeting were approved in the form in which they were distributed to the Committee.

Treasurer’s Report

John Grossmann presented the report prepared by Chris Sheasby:

Opening Balance as of 10/13/14: $29,761.31

Debits:

$239.00 Obeo for 302 Blvd documentation

$115.00 Pat Rusak for Town Club Holiday Boutique table fee (and lunch)

$201.20 Erie Landmark for Hapgood Plaque

$555.20 Total Debits

Credits:

$214.00 Plaque

Closing Balance as of 11/10/14: $29,420.11

Archivist’s Report

Pat Rusak reported that she had curated a tribute to "Our Famous Suffragette" Belle de Rivera that she put on display at the Mountain Lakes Library. John Grossmann said he would get a blurb posted about the HPC exhibit on the Borough’s home page. Pat also said that she had been supplying the Town Club with photos and information about the houses on this year’s Holiday House Tour.

Borough Liaison Report

Frank Borin spoke of the roll-out of the Borough’s redesigned website and mentioned that the Council had been approached by the owner of the home on The Boulevard that includes the Little Theater building. The owner has graciously offered to make the building available for an HPC event. The Committee deemed it a good idea to visit the renovated building to better decide what might be appropriate.

Old Business

Borough Website Redesign

Mike DeWitt and John Grossmann said they would get together to learn the extent of the Committee’s access to the HPC webpages by attempting a few easy content updates.

302 Boulevard Notice of Intent to Demolish

Tom Dagger updated the Committee on the documentation of the house, which took place on October 27. All went well, and Peter Berlin from Obeo-Edberg did his usual great job of taking photos and generating floor plans. Tom also related that the owners had given up on any thoughts of moving the home to another lot in town since it would be cost-prohibitive. Tom had also drafted and circulated to the Committee a letter that would go to the Borough Construction Official advising that the owners had complied with their obligations under the ordinance and a demolition permit could be issued after November 16.

Transition of HPC Account to Borough Administration

Tom Dagger said he would reach out to Borough Treasurer Tim Roberts to set up a meeting to pave the way for the transition sometime around year-end.

Morris County Historic Preservation Grant

Lesley Karczewski reported that she had submitted the grant 24 hours before the deadline and expected word by December 15^th.

HPC Articles for Mountain Lakes Living Magazine

Mike DeWitt passed on word from Margaret DeWitt that she was developing a list of possible stories and expected to share her story ideas via email.

Town Club Holiday Boutique Table Nov 20^th; House Tour Dec. 5^th

Volunteers were lined up for the morning and evening sessions at the Town Club’s Holiday Boutique. Pat Rusak said she had paid the $100 table fee. John Grossmann said he would drop off the items available for purchase and the price sheet. The HPC will also man a table of historic items and a few items for sale at the Mountain Lakes Club stop on the December 5^th House Tour.

New Business

Hapgood Dynamite Shed

Borough Liaison Frank Borin informed the Committee of a recent Council discussion of the Borough-owned stone building on Tower Hill Road uphill from Laurel Hill Road. Borin said there has been discussion of the Borough renovating the building for use by the HPC. One thought: a museum housing a standing display of historic items that could be opened to the public on various occasions. Borin said the building was believed to have been used by Hapgood in the early days of house building as a shed for storing dynamite. No one on the Committee had heard of that provenance for the building and wondered if that could be documented, a key part of any possible restoration grant, which was then also discussed. Katy Roberts stated that in addition to Lesley Karczewski, she, too, has grant writing experience. The Committee suggested to Frank an alternative HPC use for the renovated building: a second badly needed storage structure for salvage items, if it could be made dry and have lighting and storage shelves.

Date for Next Meeting

Thursday, December 11, at the downstairs meeting room in the Library at 7:30 p.m.

Minutes prepared by John Grossmann and Tom Dagger.