This website
is dedicated to the Michelin Plant on Ford Avenue, the Evans Family, Dr Forney and his sons, who
they have given so much
to the town of Milltown and for playing an important role in forming the town we
love and respect. Also dedication goes to the remaining historical sites that
are remaining that we hold dear to our heart, also to the ones that we have lost
to the senseless disregard of our town history and to what makes this town so
special, the residents that live and work here. We need to stop the senseless destruction of our historical
landmarks and Milltown's history now before its to late and is lost forever.
Talking about
our Town History is one Thing- Saving it is Another
Historical panel
proposal meets council resistance Ordinance aimed at maintaining historic character of
borough
MILLTOWN — A proposed ordinance that would
allow for the creation of historic home designations in the borough became cause
for some debate between the mayor and council last week.
While some see the designating of historic
homes as infringing on homeowners' rights, others claim such an ordinance is
necessary to uphold the town's character.
"I must say that the direction [the
Historic Preservation Advisory Committee] is going in, I don't agree with,"
Mayor Gloria Bradford said. "I've had [my] house for 50 years. It's very
important to me, but it's my house."
While Bradford praised the overall aims and
work of the committee, she said it would be overstepping its bounds by
designating homes as historic, and then placing restrictions on what could be
done to them.
Instead, she said the committee should set up
criteria for eligibility, and then allow eligible homeowners to decide whether
they wish to be included in the designation.
Councilman Joe Cruz agreed, saying homeowners
should be asked, instead of required, to be a part of any historic district.
"It empowers the people ... it's their
town," Cruz said.
Councilwoman Stacy Waters, who also serves as
chair of the historical advisory panel, said there are misconceptions about the
ordinance's objectives. The ultimate goal is simply to keep the homes in line
with the overall look of the neighborhood, she said, adding that the committee
would only provide input if a homeowner was embarking on a major project, such
as an addition.
"The intention is not to prevent anybody
from doing anything to their house," Waters said.
Both Waters and Councilman Brian Harto said
allowing the homeowner to decide whether to be included in historic designation
would defeat the purpose of creating such an ordinance in the first place.
Waters urged the council to read the ordinance in order to fully understand what
it entails. She also pointed out that, because it is a committee and not a
commission, the historical preservation group can only make recommendations to
homeowners.
"We cannot force anyone to do
anything," Waters said.
According to Harto, other towns that have
created historic designations for homes have enjoyed numerous benefits. He cited
Cranbury, saying property values have risen by 15 to 20 percent as a result of
historic designations. Harto asked Waters to share some of her research on the
matter with the mayor and council in order to make them aware of the positive
outcomes involved.
Resident Michael Lewycky also spoke out in
favor of the proposed ordinance, saying many are operating under the false
belief that it would affect their ability to place an air conditioning unit in a
window or install siding on their homes.
"That's not the issue, Mike," Cruz
said. "We're afraid of affecting their rights."
Several proponents of the ordinance cited the
Forney House as an example of what can happen without such regulations in place.
The borough Zoning Board of Adjustment last year approved an application from
Valley National Bank that would allow the company to raze the house and replace
it with a branch location.
The building dates to the mid to late1800s, and
was built by the Evans family, whose son served as Milltown's first mayor. The
house was converted to a medical facility, which operated from 1907 until the
1970s. Dr. Norman Forney was the borough's first surgeon, and many residents
were born inside the house. Though residents' groups in favor of preserving the
150-year-old house have been fighting it every step of the way, owner Bhudev
Sharma and bank officials have said the house is structurally unstable, and have
no intentions of saving it.
Resident Charlie Jegou asked Cruz if he thought
the fate of the Forney House was right for the town. Cruz said that, while
ideally the house would have been preserved, it was Sharma's choice in the end.
Environmental Commission Chairman Alan Godber
also cited the Forney House, saying the ordinance would prevent such historic
gems from falling into a state of disrepair or dilapidated appearance.
"If we want to maintain some character to
this town, we have to find a way that we can do that," Godber said.
Council President Randy Farkas asked if Waters
could create a presentation in order to better educate officials and the public
about the proposed ordinance. She said such a presentation is in the works, and
aside from sharing it at a meeting, she also plans to provide information on the
measure at Pride in Milltown Day this fall.
