FROM THE NEW JERSY HERALD (Quincy Newspapers, Inc.)
December 31, 2005
By JESSICA SEDA
Herald Staff Writer
Branchville is one of the few places in the county with a traditional downtown, complete with buildings dating back to the early 1800s. Now, some borough officials are trying to preserve that picture for years to come.
Wayne McCabe, the borough's historian, has talked with the Planning Board about establishing a historical district. The first step would include performing a historical inventory of the area to determine where the district should be established.
"We must understand the history of the borough first," said McCabe, the official county historian. "From there, we can make a recommendation as to where the historical district should be."
The inventory would start with areas that could be targeted by developers, including the borough's commercial areas.
Forming a historical district has been discussed for about a year and has focused mostly on the borough's main downtown area, Planning Board Chairman Michael Clune said.
Other spots, including the area leading to Kemah Lake Road and behind Broad Street to Railroad Avenue have also been discussed,
"The interest is in preserving the historical nature of downtown Branchville," he said. "This would provide guidance to future developers that come in and preclude things the town doesn't want."
At least one planning board member and councilman, William Bathgate, thinks too many restrictions could be placed on residents if the district is adopted.
"In a way, it is a good idea, but I'm just not into big brother telling people what to do," Bathgate said.
If the borough decides to create the district, it would need to amend its master plan and create ordinances that would keep in guidance the character of the area, McCabe said.
"Buildings could be fixed up as long as they stay within the design guidelines," Clune said.
The board asked McCabe to provide the project's projected cost and timelines that would need to be met so the council can consider the plan in this year's budget, Clune said. McCabe will also look into what state or federal grants might be available to fund the process.