[Adopted 8-15-2012 by Ord. No. Z-193]
A. 
Any individual or organization may apply to the City of Hoboken for consent to install a sidewalk plaque on the public right-of-way along any City street, walkway or pathway within City boundaries, to commemorate a prominent person, business, historical element or event, provided that:
(1) 
Any person to be commemorated must be a real person and a resident or former resident of the City of Hoboken for not less than five years.
(2) 
Any business to be commemorated must be or have been in business not less than 50 years.
(3) 
Any historical element, including but not limited to historic resources, buildings, structures, objects, sites and landscape features, shall be thoroughly documented as to their historical significance and certified as historically significant by the City of Hoboken Historic Preservation Commission.
(4) 
Any event, historical or cultural, shall be thoroughly documented as to its significance to the community or its effect on the residents of the community.
B. 
Sidewalk plaque installations must be separated by a minimum of 20 feet unless expressly approved by the Mayor and City Council to deviate from these criteria.
C. 
Only one sidewalk plaque application shall be processed at a time. Additional applications shall be placed on a waiting list and processed in order of submission.
D. 
Any application for installation of a sidewalk plaque along the right-of-way of a county street or roadway shall require prior written approval from the Hudson County Planning Board.
A. 
All plaques shall be made of bronze and textured to be slip-resistant.
B. 
Plaques shall be securely anchored, designed and installed flush with the surface of the sidewalk.
C. 
No plaque shall exceed three square feet in area, unless expressly approved to do so by the City Council. It is recommended that plaques be rectangular, 18 inches by 24 inches, or round with a diameter of not more than 24 inches.
D. 
All text and imagery shall be discernible and reasonably legibly from a distance of four feet.
E. 
A proposed sidewalk location shall have direct relevance to the person, business or event which it is to commemorate.
The applicant must conform to the following procedure in applying for consent to install a sidewalk plaque:
A. 
The applicant shall submit to the City Director of Human Services a completed application form, which shall be made available from the City Clerk's office and on the City's web site.
B. 
The application shall be accompanied by all necessary documentation to demonstrate compliance with the criteria for application set forth in § 168-1001.
(1) 
For persons to be commemorated, the application must include a complete biography of the proposed honoree with references of substantiation, including but not limited to date of birth, and death if applicable, years and locations of residency, honors received, contribution to the local community, etc.
(2) 
For businesses to be commemorated, the application must include a complete biography of the proposed honoree with references of substantiation, including but not limited to the dates the business operated, location of operation, honors received, contribution to the community, etc.
(3) 
For an historic element to be commemorated, the application must be accompanied by documentation of the historical significance, including but not limited to proof of listing on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places, the National Register of Historic Places, or the City of Hoboken Historic Preservation List of Established Sites or Districts. Elements not formally identified on one of these lists may still apply. Documents submitted will be considered by the Historic Preservation Commission for certification.
(4) 
For events of historical or cultural significance to be commemorated, the application must be accompanied by documentation of the event, including but not limited to period press clippings covering the event, written or recorded accounts by local residents who were involved in or witnesses to the event, a photographic account of the event, and/or any other such physical proof.
(5) 
Any business or individual previously honored with a commemorative street sign may apply to replace that street sign with a sidewalk plaque. Upon approval of the sidewalk plaque, the street sign will be revoked.
C. 
The application shall also include a rendering of the proposed sidewalk plaque with detailed specification, text, and imagery to be used.
D. 
Any application that is deemed incomplete by the City Director of Human Services shall be returned to the applicant for additional documentation.
E. 
The application shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee of $25.
Upon receipt of the applicant's submission packet, the City shall process the application as follows:
A. 
The City Director of Human Services shall, within 14 calendar days after submission of the completed application, refer the sidewalk plaque application to the Mayor of the City of Hoboken, the Hoboken Historic Preservation Commission, and the Hoboken Planning Board for review and determination as to appropriateness of the proposed sidewalk plaque.
B. 
The Mayor and reviewing boards shall have 45 calendar days, concurrent, from the date of receipt to review the application and advise the Director as to their recommendations. If either board or the Mayor does not provide a recommendation within the forty-five-day period, the Director shall forward the application to the City Council without comment.
C. 
The City Director of Human Services shall then prepare and submit to the City Clerk a copy of the full application packet, the recommendations of the Mayor, the Historic Preservation Commission and Planning Board, and a draft resolution for distribution to the City Council. At the direction of the Council President, the Clerk shall add the resolution to the Council agenda for a public hearing.
D. 
A public hearing shall be held before City Council on the proposed sidewalk plaque. The Council shall approve or deny the application upon determination of the best interests of the City.
A. 
After Council approval of the sidewalk plaque, the applicant shall have one year from receipt of notice as specified in § 168-1005B in which to produce and install the plaque. The applicant shall be responsible for all costs associated with production, installation and maintenance. Approvals not acted upon within one year shall expire unless extended by resolution of the City Council.
B. 
The City Clerk shall notify the applicant, in writing, within 30 days of approval. A certified copy of the resolution shall be included in the notification, which shall be sent certified/return-receipt via the United States Postal Service.
C. 
The City Clerk shall also notify the Historic Preservation Commission, the Planning Board, the Director of Environmental Services, the Zoning Officer, the Construction Official, and the Hoboken Historic Museum by providing a certified copy of the resolution.
D. 
All necessary permits for sidewalk opening, alteration, replacement, etc., must be obtained from the respective City agencies: Environmental Services, Zoning and/or Construction, as required.