Proposal To Cut Historic Preservation Committee Introduced In Long Valley

LONG VALLEY, NJ — The Washington Township Committee recently introduced an ordinance that calls for the elimination of the current Historic Preservation Committee within the township.

The ordinance debating the dissolution was introduced at the Nov. 21 committee meeting and will be considered for final reading and adoption at the next meeting on Dec. 19, at 7:00 p.m.

If the committee is disbanded, the township will continue to evaluate development projects based on their aesthetics and treatment of significant landmarks. Instead, the township would delegate those responsibilities to the Washington Township Planning Board.

According to the proposed ordinance, the mayor may appoint two or more people to the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee to assist or collaborate with the planning board in its duties regarding historic structures and areas located throughout the township.

The appointed persons will have no right to vote or take any other action required of the board, the ordinance states.

The appointed members' responsibilities will include making recommendations to the planning board on the master plan's historic preservation plan element and the implications for the preservation of historic sites of any other master plan elements.

The Washington Township Historic Preservation Commission is currently in charge of overseeing changes to existing properties as well as new construction within three historic districts and several individual sites.

They also serve as a resource for any homeowner who owns a historic property in the township.

The committee currently has four official members, one of whom has resigned effective December 22. According to Township Administrator Andrew Coppola, four members are required for a seven-member board to hear and act on applications.

Washington Township's first significant settlement was named "German Valley," a name that lasted until World War I, when it was replaced by the current name "Long Valley."

The 8-mile-long valley, with the South Branch of the Raritan River at its heart, was the center of a Palatinate German community and now contains some examples of architecture from the second half of the 18th and first quarter of the 19th centuries.

The German Valley Historical District, located in the heart of the settlement, is now on the National Register of Historic Places, according to officials.

Long Valley is home to many preserved historical buildings, such as the Long Valley Brew Pub, the Schooley’s Mountain General Store and the Phillip Weise House.

The committee members have not yet decided whether to dissolve the Historic Preservation Committee, but the decision will not be final until the committee approves a legal ordinance to that effect.