Rockland County Historic Preservation Board

Membership
In June 2002, the Rockland County Legislature confirmed the County Executive’s appointment of members to the new Rockland County Historic Preservation Board. A local law requires that all of the board members have a demonstrated interest, competence or knowledge of historic preservation, and that there be representation on the board from each of the five townships in Rockland County. The law also requires that individual members meet certain specific qualifications to the extent that such persons are available in the county. As examples, the board is to include an architect, an architectural historian and an archeologist, if possible. Members of the Rockland County Historic Preservation Board and the specifications of the law for each position on the board are listed below:

Meeting Notice

OFFICERS:
Craig Long, Chair
County Historian

Peter Scheibner, Vice-Chair
County Archivist

Mary Cardenas, Secretary
Public at Large

STAFF:
Linda Grant
Assistant County Attorney

Jennifer Hasan
County Executive’s Office

Eileen Miller
County Planning Department

MEMBERS:
Steve Cobb
Public at Large

(Vacant)
Public at Large

(Vacant)
Architectural Historian Representative

Claudia Cooney
Archeology Representative

Arthur Gunther
Public at Large

Marianne Leese
Designee of the Executive Director Rockland County Historical Society

C. J. Miller
County Tourism Director

Winston Perry, Jr.
Architect Representative

Thomas Vanderbeek, P.E.
Commissioner of Planning

Charles (Skip) Vezzetti
County Highway Superintendent

Responsibilities
The role of the Rockland County Historic Preservation Board is advisory to the County Executive, County Legislature, Commissioner of Planning, other county agencies, and towns and villages. The board also provides advice and guidance to property owners and government agencies concerning historic preservation issues; recommends designation of properties and historically sensitive areas as worthy of preservation; and participates in and support the nomination of worthy properties to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Another role of the Board is to foster the development of model regulations to protect historic resources, support appropriate historic district designation and other means of preserving historically sensitive areas, and establish a county historic roads program, in accordance with the Rockland County "River to Ridge" Comprehensive Plan.

Certified Local Government
On July 3, 2002, the National Park Service concurred with the recommendation of the New York State Historic Preservation Officer and accepted the Rockland County application to become a Certified Local Government (CLG). Rockland County is now a participant in the Certified Local Government Program, a program that was created by the 1980 amendments to the National Historic Preservation Act. Rockland is the first county in New York State to become a CLG. The CLG program consists of grants and technical assistance to support local historic preservation efforts. In order to participate, a local government is required to adopt a local law that meets certain standards and to establish a qualified preservation board.

Local Law
The Rockland County Legislature adopted a law that met these standards on March 19, 2002. In developing the law, new ground had to be broken. Traditionally, a local historic preservation board has land use regulatory powers and the national CLG program is largely tailored to such local programs. However, in New York State and in other states with township systems, zoning and other land use control powers over unincorporated areas reside with township governments rather than with county governments. Therefore, instead of requiring that the county CLG have the power to approve or disapprove of demolitions and new construction affecting designated historic properties, as is the case for cities, towns and villages, the New York State guidelines make special requirements for county CLGs. The state guidelines specify that county CLGs must at least have the power to review and comment upon all county undertakings that might affect historic properties and to review and report to the pertinent county agency or municipality whenever the county is called upon to formulate planning advice concerning actions that may affect historic properties.

Rockland County is the first county to fashion a law to meet both the New York State and national CLG guidelines. The Rockland County historic preservation law has a focus appropriate to the supportive and advisory role of a county in New York State. As Rockland County develops its unique historic preservation program, new ground will continue to be broken. Inquiries by the national CLG coordinator to all of the CLGs in the United States indicate that there may only be one other county CLG in existence among the 20 states with township systems. It, therefore, appears that Rockland County is charting new territory even beyond the boundaries of the State of New York.

The main features of the Rockland County historic preservation law are the powers and duties of the new Rockland County Historic Preservation Board and the requirements for board membership. The role of the Rockland County Historic Preservation Board is advisory to the County Executive, County Legislature, Commissioner of Planning, other county agencies, and towns and villages. As required by the state guidelines, in addition to the county-specific requirements discussed above, the county local law requires that the county historic preservation board will:

Provide advice and guidance to property owners and government agencies concerning historic preservation issues;
Recommend designation of properties and historically sensitive areas as worthy of preservation; and
Participate in and support the nomination of worthy properties to the State and National Registers of Historic Places;

"River to Ridge" Comprehensive Plan
Also among the powers and duties of the new board are those that came out of the process of developing the new county comprehensive plan, "River to Ridge: A Plan for the 21st Century." Three duties of the board that evolved from ideas in the plan are: fostering the development of model regulations to protect historic resources, support of appropriate historic district designation and other means of preserving historically sensitive areas, and establishment of a county historic roads program.

CLG Grant Awards
Currently the Board’s subcommittees are working on various projects, including those funded by the 2001 Certified Local Government Matching Grants Program – a competitive grant application program which awarded the Rockland Historic Preservation Board more than $17,000 in grant funds. These include a $6,000 grant awarded to establish Board Procedures, an $8,000 grant awarded to conduct a County-Owned Property Survey, and a $3,000 grant awarded to establish a Survey and Inventory Program. These three projects will assist with CLG responsibilities including the future survey of the county’s historic resources.

Contact
Further information about the Rockland County historic preservation program and the Rockland County Historic Preservation Board is available by contacting Eileen Miller at the Rockland County Planning Department at 364-3449 or millere@co.rockland.ny.us.

Other related links:
NY State Historic Preservation Office – Field Services Bureau www.nysparks.state.ny.us/field/
National Park Service – Technical Preservation Services www2.cr.nps.gov/tps/
National Park Service – CLG Program Information & Statistics www2.cr.nps.gov/clg/index.htm