| Dear
Miss Victoria Anna,
As much as we love the location, our Ocean Grove home does not
meet our family’s needs. We are considering demolishing
our home and building a house that will fit our lifestyle more
effectively. Do you think this is a good plan? - Joy &
Will Newhouse
Dear
Joy and Will,
You are not alone in thinking about such an undertaking. Nationally
there is a growing teardown trend. Homeowners are razing their
existing dwellings and building new ones more suited to their
tastes and needs. Almost always, these new homes are larger and
fill more of the existing lot. They tend to be oriented to more
private inner spaces. Large front porches become expendable while
large garages are added. This severely damages the feeling of
openness and community fostered by historic architecture. Because
of the desire for easy maintenance, exteriors are simplified and
constructed of modern manufactured materials rather than wood
or cedar shakes, etc.
While this trend may make sense in many locations, it is discouraged
in the strongest possible terms for Ocean Grove, a National Historic
District. It is contrary to almost every tenet of historic preservation.
The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation
and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings and state
and local guidelines all have a hierarchy of preferable work.
Maintenance and repair are the most preferable. It is followed,
in order of decreasing acceptability, by restoration, replication
and renovation. Demolition and rebuilding are only options in
exceptional cases. The loss of an original or early home or even
a significant portion of such a home’s façade diminishes
the character and “streetscape” of the whole historic
district.
By ordinance, the process to obtain a demolition permit for a
building in Ocean Grove is quite rigorous. The Historic Preservation
Commission must hold a special hearing and gather information
regarding the historic significance, ownership, use, uniqueness,
and condition of the building. Local and state historical agencies
and associations as well as neighbors must be notified of the
proposed demolition. Only after a 3 to 4 month waiting period
will the resultant “Findings of Facts” be used by
the Commission to make a determination on whether to issue a “Certificate
of Appropriateness. Owners of key or contributing structures in
Ocean Grove which retain most of their historic character and
significance must make a very compelling case concerning the building’s
condition and inability to be rehabilitated in order to receive
such a Certificate. Owners of “modern”, mid to late
20th century buildings which do not add significantly to the historic
district are subject to the same process but may face a lesser
challenge in meeting demolition standards.
If a demolition “Certificate of Appropriateness” is
issued and a building razed, a homeowner still must apply for
a “Certificate of Appropriateness” for any new construction.
The size, style, materials, ornamentation, and orientation on
the lo† are all subject †o HPC review. The new construction
is subject to current building code and zoning requirements. Features
such as garages that were grandfathered in as part of the original
building will not be allowed in new construction. Not only will
the new building have to meet approved design guidelines in itself,
it also has to meet guidelines for it’s visual relationship
with it’s neighbors. It must be harmonious to the “streetscape”.
Therefore homeowner would have to do serious research and thinking
about undertaking an Ocean Grove teardown and new build. The demolition
process is rigorous. The code requirements and design guidelines
most likely would limit any significant gain in size or mass while
mandating specific elements to be incorporated into the new building.
For example, the design guidelines specify a full front porch.
The irreparable historic loss to the community has to be part
of a homeowner’s calculation of costs when contemplating
a teardown. While demolition is not forbidden, it is contrary
to the efforts of the HPC and citizens dedicated to historic preservation
to “Recapture the Spirit of Ocean Grove.” It would
be more acceptable to give strong consideration to finding interior
redesign solutions to your family’s space requirements.
-Posted 7/20/05
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Victoria
will answer any questions or clarify any answers about the Historic
Preservation Commission that you may have. Send her your questions
by e-mailing RHavey@NeptuneTownship.org,
or through the post at Victoria Anna, c/o HPC Office, PO Box 1125,
Neptune NJ 07753.
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