Council supports bill to save historic properties
Tax incentive seeks to preserve 'character and a sense of place'
BY SARAH KLEPNER
Staff Writer

SARAH KLEPNER The Thomas Fortune house

RED BANK - - The Borough Council is supporting legislation that will provide an incentive to restore historic properties.

At its April 23 meeting, the council unanimously voted to approve a resolution supporting The Historic Properties Revitalization Act, which is pending in the New Jersey Legislature.

Citing first "character and a sense of place that contribute to the quality of life" which historic buildings provide, the resolution is in favor of "a 25 percent investment tax credit for owners of historic residential and commercial properties who substantially rehabilitate their properties."

"It's a good starting point," George Bowden, a member of the borough's Historic Preservation Committee, said of the resolution. "Having this in the background is a benefit for someone who would rather restore their property."

"It provides a financial incentive to preserve our historical heritage before more of it succumbs to the wrecking ball," Red Bank Mayor Pasquale Menna said.

The resolution also cites several economic advantages to supporting historic property revitalization.

They range from the jobs provided by the labor-intensive nature of restoration work, to the experience of states which have implemented a tax credit program for restoration work and have "seen significant positive direct impacts on state tax revenues, with tax credits returning as much as $3 … for every dollar of credit given."

There are also environmental benefits to reducing demolition and new construction: building materials and waste currently comprise more than 40 percent of landfills. Plus, avoiding demolition saves "the embodied energy present in each structure," the resolution points out.

The resolution also notes that development and redevelopment within established municipalities is consistent with New Jersey's goals for Smart Growth, a term used to describe well-planned, well-managed growth that preserves open space and environmental resources.

Bowden said the Historic Preservation Committee is now focused on the future of the Thomas Fortune house, one of a few Second Empire buildings in Red Bank, which is for sale.

Fortune was a nationally prominent newspaper editor and owner, who co-founded the National Afro-American League, precursor to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

He bought the house at 94 W. Bergen Ave (Dr. James Parker Blvd.) in 1901. The house was listed in the State and National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and 1979, respectively.

Bowden said, "The ideal in preservation is to retain and use" significant properties. In the case of the Fortune house, the preservation committee's position is that "the house itself must be retained," but attachments and the house adjacent can be demolished. The building had housed Vaccarelli Bakers, which supplied bread across Monmouth County, Bowden said.

Second Empire buildings are distinguished by steep, but short mansard roofs with dormers (windows in the roof) and short porches.

In Red Bank, the Second Empire buildings in addition to the Fortune house include the Century House, now part of the Red Bank Charter School campus, the Dublin House and a building at the northwest corner of Broad and Bergen, said Bowden.