A solid preservation ordinance is in Council and ready to be adopted – let’s make it happen!
Lost in early 20th Century:
James Willis house (1860)
505-507 Bank Ave.
This Wednesday 10/11/2023 at 6:00 pm at Riverton School Gym the Borough Council will hold a special, very important public meeting on a single agenda item we need: considering final passage of a good, solid ordinance to STOP TEARDOWNS in Historic Riverton!
Note the early time: 6:00.
This ordinance will put back into place the protections from demolition which everyone thought our historic treasures already had for years … and then a developer sued and Superior Court threw them out in January.
It corrects the legal technicality that caused us to lose two historically-designated homes this year: the 1901 Groves Mansion at 411 Lippincott Avenue and the c. 1905 Richardson home at 402 Midway.
Read the full ordinance here: https://riverton-nj.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Ordinance-2023-05A-2.pdf
Following State law scrupulously, it will convert the Borough’s Architectural Review Committee into a Historic Preservation Commission which will be able to block teardowns just like every other beautiful historic town in New Jersey already can.
Though there is also strong support in Riverton for standards to defend the historic appearance of our vintage homes, that will require additional study and discussion; it is not included in the scope of this current ordinance. This is a balancing act and will be taken up in future public meetings. There is also a deep desire for strong controls on what new construction in the Historic District can look like in order to blend in. This will be taken up at the same time.
To answer a frequent question, no controls whatsoever are proposed relating to paint colors.
This ordinance came about with the full support of the Mayor and Council over the last 9 months, spearheaded by the ad hoc Riverton Historic Preservation Roundtable. This is a group of 15 equal representatives of various constituencies in town, all homeowners. It was convened by (but not controlled by) the Historical Society of Riverton. The Mayor and Council participated, as well as representatives of apartment owners, commercial owners, realtors, the Planning Board, etc. to ensure that every viewpoint could be heard.
Please come to the School on Wednesday night (at 6:00 pm) and support our Council in this critical effort to defend Historic Riverton. No more teardowns!
The Historical Society of Riverton is a 501(c)3 charitable educational organization founded in 1970 to bring together people interested in history, especially the history of the Borough of Riverton, New Jersey.
It’s easy to join us. Dues are very affordable and an active membership amplifies our voice in the community. Larger donations leverage strong volunteerism to make many of our more significant educational and outreach efforts happen. Please click here to help!
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Thank you and please spread the word about Historic Riverton, Everyone’s Home Town.
