I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 3498

To establish the Great Falls Historic District, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NOVEMBER 10, 1993

Mr. KLEIN (for himself, Mr. HUGHES, Mr. ANDREWS of New Jersey, Mr.

GALLO, Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey, Mr. ZIMMER, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr.

NADLER, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. BARCIA of Michigan, Mr. PALLONE, Mr.

MENENDEZ, Mr. ACKERMAN, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. TORRICELLI, and Mr.

FRANKS of New Jersey) introduced the following bill; which was referred

to the Committee on Natural Resources

A BILL

To establish the Great Falls Historic District, and for other

purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Great Falls Preserva5 tion and Redevelopment Act of 1993’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds that—

8 (1) the Great Falls Historic District in the

9 State of New Jersey is an area of unique historical
2

•HR 3498 IH

1 significance as the first site of industrial develop2 ment, and has remained largely intact, including

3 architecturally significant structures;

4 (2) the Great Falls Historic District is listed on

5 the National Register of Historic Places;

6 (3) the natural beauty and splendor of the

7 Great Falls makes the city of Paterson unique

8 among major urban areas in the United States;

9 (4) the Great Falls Historic District is within

10 a half hour drive of New York City, and within two

11 hours of Philadelphia, Hartford, New Haven, and

12 Wilmington;

13 (5) the District was established by the Society

14 of Useful Manufactures, an organization whose lead15 ers included such historically renowned individuals

16 as Alexander Hamilton; and

17 (6) the Great Falls Historic District has been

18 the subject of a number of studies which have shown

19 that the District is a unique combination of historic

20 significance and natural beauty worthy of and

21 uniquely situated for preservation and redevelop22 ment, including Urban Design and Historic Preser23 vation Plan, by A. Nelessen Associates, Inc. of

24 Princeton, New Jersey (1992); Rebuilding Paterson:

25 The Third Century, by the Port Authority of New
3

•HR 3498 IH

1 York and New Jersey (1991); Great Falls Historic

2 District Redevelopment Plan, by the Department of

3 Community Development of the City of Paterson

4 (1979); Historic American Engineering Record Sur5 vey, by the United States Department of the Interior

6 (1974); and Field Evaluation of the Great Falls/

7 S.U.M. Historic District, by the Smithsonian Insti8 tution and the National Trust for Historic Preserva9 tion (1972).

10 SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

11 The purpose of this Act is to preserve and interpret

12 the educational and inspirational benefit of the unique and

13 distinguished contribution to our national heritage of cer14 tain historic and cultural lands, waterways and edifices of

15 the Great Falls Historic District with emphasis on har16 nessing this unique urban environment for its educational

17 and recreational value, as well as to enhance economic and

18 cultural redevelopment within the District.

19 SEC. 4. GREAT FALLS HISTORIC DISTRICT.

20 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established in

21 the city of Paterson in the county of Passaic in the State

22 of New Jersey the Great Falls Historic District.

23 (b) BOUNDARIES.—The boundaries of the District

24 shall be the boundaries as specified for the Great Falls
4

•HR 3498 IH

1 Historic District listed on the National Register of His2 toric Places.

3 SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION.

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall administer

5 the District through cooperative agreements in accordance

6 with this Act. In expending moneys appropriated pursuant

7 to this Act, the Secretary may make grants to and enter

8 into cooperative agreements with nonprofit entities for the

9 purchase of property or easements, emergency stabiliza10 tion, and the establishment of a coordinated fund to carry

11 out the purposes of this Act, including (but not limited

12 to) the following:

13 (1) An evaluation of—

14 (A) the existing condition of historic and

15 architectural resources; and

16 (B) the environmental and flood hazard

17 conditions within the District.

18 (2) Recommendations for—

19 (A) rehabilitating, reconstructing, and

20 adaptively reusing such historic and architec21 tural resources;

22 (B) preserving viewsheds, focal points, and

23 streetscapes;

24 (C) establishing gateways to the District;
5

•HR 3498 IH

1 (D) establishing and maintaining parks

2 and public spaces;

3 (E) restoring, improving, and developing

4 raceways and adjacent areas;

5 (F) developing public parking areas;

6 (G) improving pedestrian and vehicular cir7 culation within the District;

8 (H) improving security within the District,

9 with an emphasis on preserving historically sig10 nificant structures from arson; and

11 (I) establishing a visitor’s center.

12 (b) RESTORATION, MAINTENANCE, AND INTERPRE13 TATION.—The Secretary may enter into cooperative agree14 ments with the owners of properties within the District

15 of historical or cultural significance as determined by the

16 Secretary, pursuant to which the Secretary may mark, in17 terpret, improve, restore, and provide technical assistance

18 with respect to the preservation and interpretation of such

19 properties. Such agreements shall contain, but need not

20 be limited to, provisions that the Secretary shall have the

21 right of access at reasonable times to public portions of

22 the property for interpretive and other purposes, and that

23 no changes or alterations shall be made in the property

24 except by mutual agreement.
6

•HR 3498 IH

1 (c) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH STATE.—In

2 administering the District, the Secretary may enter into

3 cooperative agreements with the State of New Jersey, or

4 any political subdivision thereof, for the rendering, on a

5 reimbursable basis, of rescue, firefighting, and law en6 forcement services and cooperative assistance by nearby

7 law enforcement and fire preventive agencies and for other

8 appropriate purposes.

9 SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

10 As used in this Act—

11 (1) the term ‘‘District’’ means the Great Falls

12 Historic District established by section 4; and

13 (2) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary

14 of the Interior.

15 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

16 There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as

17 may be necessary to carry out this Act.

Æ