Concerns Remain Over Possible Graydon Historic Designation

Village professional staff expressed hesitancy to sign off on a resolution to Tuesday at the planning board meeting, saying that such a move could 'hamstring' the village from making substantial changes to the sand-bottom pool if it eventually factored into a national or state designation.

Ridgewood Historic Preservation Society head Art Wrubel , which would move the 80-year-old pool into a category in the Master Plan that would give the planning board a courtesy review over proposed alterations.

Asked by Mayor Keith Killion what advantages a local designation had, Wrubel commented that it puts current and future village councils, planning boards and staff "under the realization this is a historic site and should be considered a historic site."

"The reasons are overwhelming," Wrubel said, adding that he felt the designation should have been made years ago. "This is really catching up with history."

The local designation alone would not in itself preclude the village from making changes, according to Village Planner Blais Brancheau, though it would be a "factor" in any board's decision. It would likely have some impact on the local political ramifications, he remarked at the work session.

However, the planner also said making such a move would represent an endorsement should a private party or organization pursue historic status for Graydon under the state or federal government, which they can do at any time.

If such parties were successful in obtaining a historic designation tag from the larger government entities, future large-scale changes to Graydon would be highly unlikely.

"One of the questions that I have is whether a local designation could be used by a party in support of someone seeking registered listing – federal or state – of the property," Brancheau said. "Because that would impose constraints in what the village could do with Graydon."

Wrubel said it would be hard to attain a state or federal designation without the municipality's endorsement though the village itself "may want to do that some day."

"So state and federal register listings would add regulatory burden to any projects the village wishes to undertake at this location?" Village Engineer Chris Rutishauser asked, which Planning Board counsel Gail Price affirmed.

Brancheau said should that happen, it's unclear what kind of changes could be made. "We could theoretically shoot ourselves in the foot," he said.

Pressed as to what could be allowed in changing Graydon should a state or federal designation be in effect, Brancheau said it was tough to determine without any specific proposals in motion.

Several members seemed to brush aside concerns a state or federal designation was impending or even on the radar.

"I think it's been intimated somehow there's a slippery slope down which we are headed and I don't think it is," Board Vice President Albert Pucciarelli exclaimed. "I don't know why we're spending so much time" discussing it, he said, later adding that the local tag just ensures more scrutiny to consider architectural and contextual impacts.

The planning board will ask Tim Cronin, the Director of Parks and Recreation, to appear at an upcoming work session to express any concerns the department, which oversees Graydon, may have.

Reached for comment Wednesday, resident group Preserve Graydon Coalition (PGC) co-chair Alan Seiden said simply, "local designation would be a fitting way to acknowledge Graydon's lasting value to the Village."