[Adopted 3-20-2008 by Ord. No. 835]
It is recognized that a Borough Historical Committee had existed, but now is being formalized by ordinance and shall forthwith be named and called the "Borough of Oceanport Historical Committee," hereinafter called the "Historical Committee."
The members of the Historical Committee, including ex officio members, shall receive no compensation for their services as members thereof, but may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary appropriations made available therefor, but only upon request to and approved by the Borough Council.
The powers and duties of the Historical Committee shall be to:
A. 
Encourage the protection and preservation of historical landmarks and points of interests within the Borough of Oceanport.
B. 
Encourage historical and genealogical research and publication of its results.
C. 
Make all information and acquisitions of the Historical Committee available to the public.
D. 
Advise the Borough Council on matters affecting the historical landmarks and points of interest.
E. 
Maintain an updated inventory or index of all historical documents, records, relics, landmarks and points of interest within the Borough of Oceanport.
F. 
Seek to coordinate, assist and unify the efforts of private groups, institutions and individuals within the Borough of Oceanport in accord with the purposes of this article.
G. 
Maintain liaison and communication with the public and private agencies and organizations of local, state and national scope whose programs and activities have an impact on the protection and preservation with respect to the historical points of interest, or who can be of assistance to the Historical Committee.
H. 
Carry out other such duties as may be assigned from time to time by the Borough Council.
A. 
The Historical Committee shall consist of a minimum of five members, including ex officio members, but this article provides for additional members at the discretion of the Mayor and Council, all of whom shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the consent of the majority of the members of the Borough Council as a whole, and shall serve at the pleasure of the Borough Council, along with ex officio members, as provided herein. Persons interested in historical aspects of the Borough shall be eligible for appointment as members of the Historical Committee. Vacancies on the Historical Committee shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments, except that vacancies occurring other than by the expiration of the term of the office shall be filled only for the remainder of the unexpired term of the original appointee. All appointees shall be appointed for a term of one year during the annual Borough reorganization meeting. Any member who serves shall be eligible for reappointment. Generally, members must primarily reside in the Borough of Oceanport. However, the Mayor and Council may appoint or reappoint up to one regular member whom does not at the time of the appointment primarily reside in the Borough of Oceanport if such members previously resided in the Borough of Oceanport and have an interest in the history of the Borough.
B. 
The Mayor, and a member of the Borough Council approved by the Mayor, shall serve as ex officio members of the Historical Committee.
C. 
The Historical Committee shall be encouraged to seek participation of other residents of the Borough in all activities.
The Historical Committee, at its annual meeting, shall designate a Chairperson, who shall serve for a term of one year. At each annual meeting of the Historical Committee, its members shall elect, from among themselves, all officers of the Historical Committee and establish rules and procedures for its members to follow. The Historical Committee shall keep accurate records of its meetings and activities and shall file an annual report with the Borough Council. The annual report shall cover the activities and work of the Historical Committee and include recommendations as may be necessary to fulfill the purposes of this article.
This article shall be deemed an exercise of the powers of the Borough Council to protect and preserve Oceanport historical documents, records, relics, landmarks and points of interest located in the Borough of Oceanport, and it shall not be deemed to impair the powers of the Borough Council, the Planning Board or other public corporations. It is also the intent that this Historical Committee encourages public participation and education concerning the Borough's history and to serve as a vehicle for that purpose.
A. 
The Historical Committee shall also serve as an advisory committee to the Oceanport Planning Board to the extent that the Oceanport Municipal Land Use Ordinance requires such advice or review with regard to historical landmarks.
B. 
Regulations applying to the HD Zone District.
(1) 
The HD (Historic District) Zone shall not regulate the use of land or buildings. It is for the purpose of preserving cultural, social, economic and architectural history through the preservation of historically significant buildings and to create an appropriate and harmonious neighborhood for the historically significant buildings.
(2) 
In addition to all other requirements of this article, no building or structure shall hereafter be erected, reconstructed, altered, restored or demolished within the Historic District unless and until an application for a building permit shall have been approved as to exterior architectural features which are subject to public view from a public street, way or place. Evidence of such required approval shall be a certificate of appropriateness issued by the Planning Board. Upon receiving an application for a building permit in the Historic Zone, the Construction Official shall promptly forward three copies thereof to the Administrative Secretary, who shall place it on the agenda of the next meeting of the Planning Board.
(3) 
In reviewing the plans, the Planning Board shall give consideration to:
(a) 
The historical or architectural value and significance of the structure and its relationship to the historic value of the surrounding area;
(b) 
The general compatibility of exterior design, arrangement, texture and materials proposed to be used; and
(c) 
Any other factor, including aesthetic, which it deems pertinent.
(4) 
The Planning Board shall pass only on exterior features of a structure and shall not consider interior arrangements, nor shall it disapprove applications except in regard to considerations as set forth in the previous paragraph.
(5) 
It is the intent of this section that the Planning Board be strict in its judgment of plans for alterations, repair or demolition of existing structures deemed to be valuable according to studies, approved by the Planning Board of the Borough of Oceanport, by qualified persons using as the criteria of evaluation those developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. A list of such structures designated by street address and block and lot number is maintained by the Oceanport Historical Committee to guide the Planning Board in its judgments.
(6) 
It is the intent of this section that the Planning Board shall encourage any alterations or repairs to structures on this list be made in the spirit of their architectural style, and that any additions will be made in such manner as not to detract from a building's original appearance.
(7) 
The buildings included on the list, referred to in Subsection B(5) above, are those structures within the district that are deemed to be valuable for the period of architecture they represent and important to the neighborhood within which they exist. It is intended that demolition of these structures should be discouraged, as their loss will be common loss to the Borough and the neighborhood. Moving of a structure on the list should be encouraged as an alternative to demolition, if there is no other way to save the structure.
(8) 
It is also the intent of this section that the Planning Board shall be lenient in its judgment of plans for new construction or for alterations, repair or demolition of structures of little historic value not shown on the list which are within the Historic District, except where such construction, alteration, repair or demolition would seriously impair the historic value and character of surrounding structures or the surrounding area.
(9) 
Demolition or removal may be forbidden or postponed for a period of six months (after public hearing granted to the applicant, if desired) and the Planning Board shall, during that time, consult civic groups and public agencies to ascertain how the Borough may preserve the building and/or premises. The Planning Board is empowered to work out with the owner feasible plans for preservation of structures where moving or demolition thereof would be a great loss to the public and to the Borough.
(10) 
When it is necessary to move a historic building to another site within the Borough to preserve it, upon recommendation of the relocation plans by the Planning Board and approval of the same by a vote of the Mayor and Council, said building may be relocated, provided that it fulfills the area regulations of said zone as to lot size, setback and yard areas. Furthermore, the Mayor and Council shall consult with the Police Department and Fire Department of the Borough of Oceanport, along with any other appropriate parties (e.g., utility company, etc.) in determining whether to approve a relocation plan.
(11) 
The Planning Board shall have the power to engage experts to aid in its deliberations. The Planning Board shall have the power to issue a certificate of approval if it approves of the plans submitted to it for its review. A building permit shall not be issued until such certificate of approval has been issued by the Planning Board.
(12) 
The Planning Board, in passing on the appropriateness of exterior architectural features in any case, shall keep in mind the purposes set forth in Subsection B(1) above, and shall consider among other things the general design, arrangement, texture, material and color of the building or structure in question and the relation of such factors to similar features of buildings and structures in the immediate surroundings, and the position of such buildings or structures in relation to the street or public way and to other buildings and structures.
(13) 
The Planning Board shall not consider features not subject to public view. The Planning Board shall not make recommendations or requirements except for the purpose of preventing developments obviously incongruous to the historic aspects of the surroundings and the Historic District.
(14) 
In case of disapproval, the Planning Board shall state its reasons therefor in writing and it may make recommendations to the applicant with respect to appropriateness of design, arrangement, texture, material, color and the like, of the building or structure involved.
(15) 
Upon approval of the plans the Planning Board shall cause a certificate of appropriateness, dated and signed by the Chairperson, to be issued to the applicant or affixed to the plans.
(16) 
If the Planning Board shall fail to take action in any case within 60 days after receipt of any application for a certificate of appropriateness or a permit for removal, the case shall be deemed to be approved except where mutual agreement has been reached for an extension of the time limit.
(17) 
The Planning Board and the Mayor and Council may consult with the Historical Committee with regard to any applications put before them; they are not, however, bound by the findings or opinions of that body.