Council weighs options for new historical panel
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

MILLTOWN - Borough officials have yet to make a decision on whether to create a historical commission or committee that would work to protect the town's historical properties.

Borough Attorney Patrick Diegnan is expected to present a report at an October meeting detailing the pros and cons of the two types of agencies.

"I think an advisory committee is the way to go here," Councilman Eric Steeber said during a Sept. 11 meeting. He cited the financial hardships that a commission's stringent rules could bring to homeowners if that agency was to be created and given certain powers.

When homeowners attempt to renovate or upgrade their homes under the rules of a historical commission, Steeber said, it often becomes very expensive to maintain the historical accuracy of the homes. He said most of the structures in town were built post-World War I and the Depression, and therefore do not have historical value.

"They might have a place in our hearts as part of the town, but they're not really of historical significance to Middlesex County," Steeber said.

Milltown Environmental Commission Chairman Alan Godber said at the meeting that a commission is necessary if the borough wants to maintain any control over what is done with properties that are considered historic. He cited the town of Cranbury as an example, where he said homes in the historic district are worth 20 to 30 percent more than regular homes. Too many historic buildings have already been torn down in Milltown, Godber said.

"Honestly, we should have done this 20 or 30 years ago," Godber said.

The debate centers around the recent efforts of local residents and groups to preserve historic structures. The Forney Clinic on North Main Street is currently the subject of an application that would have it razed and replaced by a Valley National Bank branch. The nearly 150-year-old building was used as a medical office throughout most of the past century. The bank application is pending, with its next possible hearing date is set for Oct. 4.

The Dehner-Zimmerman farmhouse on Kuhlthau Avenue, which dates to a similar period, is the site of an approved subdivision, and will likely be torn down to make way for two homes. The subdivision application was approved by the Planning Board last summer.

While some locals see the houses as an important part of the town's history, Steeber pointed out that neither of them are on the national register of historic places.

Steeber noted that architectural consistency in town could be achieved through the recommendations of a committee. The committee's recommendations would be considered by the Planning and Zoning boards, and decisions and rules would be made from there.

"What I would seek to avoid is creating another body outside of our Zoning and Planning boards that homeowners have to answer to in order to get things done. We have people with lots of experience on the Zoning and Planning boards who can handle these decisions," Steeber said.

Mayor Gloria Bradford said that while the council will be reviewing possible pros and cons of creating a commission or committee, it is not certain that a decision will be made at the next meeting. The council is scheduled to meet Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 23 at 8 p.m.