Sponsored by:
Senator JOHN F. MCKEON
District 27 (Essex and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires members of historic preservation commissions to complete historic preservation planning course.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a historic preservation planning course for historic preservation commissions and supplementing P.L.1975, c.291 (C.40:55D-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Commissioner of Community Affairs shall prepare and offer a course in historic preservation planning within six months from the effective date of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill) for regular, alternate, and prospective members of historic preservation commissions established pursuant to section 21 of P.L.1985, c.516 (C.40:55D-107). The course to be prepared and offered shall consist of no more than five hours of scheduled instruction and shall be structured so that a regular, alternate, or prospective member may complete the course and satisfy this requirement within one day. The commissioner shall work in conjunction with the New Jersey Historic Trust and the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office to establish standards for curriculum and administration of the course.
b. On or after the first date on which the course in historic preservation planning is offered, a person shall not be seated as a regular or an alternate member of a historic preservation commission unless the person agrees to complete the course within 18 months of assuming membership in order to retain membership.
c. Any person who is serving as a regular or an alternate member of a historic preservation commission on the first date on which the historic preservation planning course required by this section is offered shall be required to complete that course within 18 months of that date in order to retain membership.
d. A hearing or proceeding held, or decision or recommendation made, by a historic preservation commission shall not be invalidated if a member who has participated in the hearing, proceeding, decision making, or recommendation is subsequently found not to have completed the historic preservation planning course required by this section.
e. The following persons shall be exempt from completing the historic preservation planning course requirements established pursuant to this section:
(1) Any person who is licensed as a professional planner and maintains a certificate of license issued pursuant to chapter 14A of Title 45 of the Revised Statutes which is current as of the date upon which that person would otherwise be required to demonstrate compliance with the provisions of this section.
(2) Any person who offers proof of having completed a more extensive course than that required by this section, within 12 months of the date on which that person would otherwise be required to demonstrate compliance with the provisions of this section and which, in the determination of the Commissioner of Community Affairs, is equivalent to or more extensive than the course required by this section.
2. This act shall take effect on the 60th day after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a historic preservation planning course to be completed by members and prospective members of historic preservation commissions. The bill requires that all regular and alternate members of historic preservation commissions complete a historic preservation planning course to retain their membership on the commission. The course will be prepared and offered by the Department of Community Affairs. The course will be no more than five hours of instruction and will be structured so that a member is able to complete it within one day. The commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs will work in conjunction with the New Jersey Historic Trust and the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office to establish standards for the curriculum and administration of the course. Under the bill, certain persons who are certified as professional planners or who have completed a more extensive course will be exempt from the course required in the bill.
Historic preservation commissions established by law play a vital role in preserving the unique character of New Jerseys small towns and municipalities. New Jersey has over 300 years of history and the loss of the tangible remains of the past would diminish New Jerseys quality of life. This bill provides the tools to those who oversee the preservation of our built environment so that the vestiges of New Jerseys past will be carefully and thoughtfully woven into the future.