New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 7 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › Chapter 4 - THE NEW JERSEY REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES RULES › Subchapter 2 - REGISTRATION PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA › Section 7:4-2.2 - Procedure for the nomination of properties for inclusion in the New Jersey and National Registers

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
(a) All applications for nomination to the New Jersey and National Registers shall be made under the supervision of the Department, on standard National Register Nomination Forms. Guidance in the completion of the forms is provided in the National Park Service publication "Guidelines for Completing National Register of Historic Places Forms" (National Register Bulleting Number 16) or subsequent amendments thereto and other guidelines issued by the Historic Preservation Office or the National Park Service for nominations to the National Register. The forms, publication, and guidelines are available from the Department at the Historic Preservation Office, PO Box 420, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0420.
(b) Applications for nomination to the New Jersey Register may be initiated by private individuals, any organization, or government agency.
(c) The procedure for the nomination of property for inclusion in the New Jersey and National Registers is as follows:
1. The applicant obtains a preliminary application and an individual building or district survey form from the Department.
2. The applicant submits the following to the Department for a preliminary determination by the Department whether the property is potentially eligible for listing in the New Jersey and National Registers under the criteria for evaluation set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3:
i. The completed preliminary application and the individual or district survey form obtained under (c)1 above;
ii. Clear photographs that show the property in complete exterior and interior views. In the case of a district, the photographs shall show representative views of the district; and
iii. A location map;
3. Within 45 days of receiving a complete submittal for preliminary determination under (c)2 above, the Department shall:
i. Make a preliminary determination of the property's potential eligibility for the New Jersey and National Registers; and
ii. Notify the applicant in writing whether or not the Department determines that the property is potentially eligible for the New Jersey and National Registers.
(1) If the Department determines that the property potentially is eligible for the New Jersey and National Registers, the Department shall send a National Register Nomination Form to the applicant.
(2) If the Department determines that the property does not appear to be potentially eligible for the New Jersey and National Registers, the Department shall give the applicant a written explanation of the Department's preliminary determination that the property does not appear to meet the criteria for evaluation in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3. If the applicant resubmits a request for a preliminary determination, it shall be treated as a new preliminary submittal.
4. The applicant shall, as part of an adequately documented and technically and professionally correct and sufficient National Register Nomination Form, submit the following to the Department:
i. A complete list of all owners of the nominated property as of the date of the National Register Nomination Form's submission. The list of property owners shall be the list of private and public property owners (including right-of-way owners) named in official municipal tax records and maps and shall be notarized by the appropriate municipal official. If the property is not scheduled for consideration by the State Review Board under this subchapter within 90 days after the Department receives an adequately documented and technically and professionally correct and sufficient National Register Nomination Form, the Department may require that the applicant submit an updated list of property owners (notarized by the appropriate municipal official) which the applicant shall provide to the Department within 30 days of the issuance of the Department's written request; and
ii. A map that meets the standards specified in N.J.A.C. 7:4-8.9(a)1.
5. Within 60 days of receiving a completed National Register Nomination Form, the Department shall notify the applicant in writing as to:
i. Whether or not the National Register Nomination Form is adequately documented and technically and professionally correct and sufficient;
ii. Whether or not the property appears to meet the criteria for evaluation in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3; and
iii. If the Department determines that the National Register Nomination Form is adequately documented and technically and professionally correct and sufficient and that the property appears to meet the criteria for evaluation in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3, the Department shall schedule the nomination for consideration at the earliest possible State Review Board meeting, consistent with the Department's established priorities for processing nominations. These priorities shall be consistent with implementation of the State Historic Preservation Plan and shall be established by the Department in consultation with the State Review Board. The Department shall notify the applicant in writing of the property's position in accordance with the Department's priorities for processing nominations under the State Historic Preservation Plan and of the date the applicant can expect the nomination of the property to be considered by the State Review Board under this subchapter; or
iv. If the Department determines that the National Register Nomination Form is not adequately documented and technically and professionally correct and sufficient or that the property does not appear to meet the criteria for evaluation in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3, the Department shall provide the applicant with a written explanation of the reasons for that determination.
6. If the Department determines that the National Register Nomination Form is adequately documented and technically and professionally correct and sufficient, but that the property does not appear to meet the criteria for evaluation in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3, the Department need not process the nomination further unless the Department receives a written request to do so from the Keeper of the National Register under 36 CFR Part 60, Section 60.12 referenced in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.2(c)21below, in which case the Department shall proceed with processing the nomination for the National Register but shall not be required to process the nomination for the New Jersey Register.
7. When a National Register Nomination Form for a property within the jurisdiction of a Certified Local Government is received by the Department, the Department shall:
i. Forward a copy of the nomination to the Certified Local Government's historic preservation commission for the commission's review and comment;
ii. Within 30 days of its receipt of the nomination, forward to the Certified Local Government's historic preservation commission a written determination on whether or not the nomination is adequately documented and technically and professionally correct and sufficient and whether the nominated property appears to meet the criteria for evaluation under N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3;
iii. Allow the Certified Local Government 60 days from the date of issuance of the notice of adequate documentation and eligibility for the Chief Elected Local Official of the Certified Local Government to transmit to the Department a report by the historic preservation commission as to whether or not in its opinion the nominated property meets the criteria for evaluation in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3 and the recommendation of the chief elected local official;
iv. If the report by the Certified Local Government's historic preservation commission and the recommendations of its chief elected local official are not received by the Department within 60 days as provided in (c)8ii above, the Department shall proceed with processing the nomination pursuant to this chapter; and
v. If both the Certified Local Government's historic preservation commission and its chief elected local official recommend under (c)8ii above that a property not be listed in the National Register, the Department shall not proceed with processing the nomination for the National Register pursuant to this chapter unless, within 30 days of the receipt of the recommendation by the Department, the State Historic Preservation Officer receives a written request from any citizen or organization to proceed with the nomination. The report by the Certified Local Government's historic preservation commission and the recommendations of its chief elected local official shall be included by the Department with any nomination processed by the Department under this chapter and submitted by the State Historic Preservation Officer to the Keeper of the National Register.
8. As part of the nomination process, the Department shall notify the preparer and the owner(s) of the nominated property or the owner(s) of property within a nominated historic district in writing of the Department's intent to bring the nomination before the State Review Board on a specific date, time and place. The Department shall be responsible for notifying only those property owners names in the National Register Nomination Form in accordance with (c)4 above. Where more than one owner is named, each separate owner shall be notified.
i. The Department shall send the written notification at least 60 but not more than 75 days before the State Review Board meeting during which the nomination is scheduled to be considered. The property owner(s) shall be notified via certified mail. In addition to informing the applicant and owner(s) that the property is being considered for nomination to the New Jersey Register, the notice shall solicit written comments on the significance of the property and whether or not it meets the criteria for evaluation set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3, inform the owners what registration of the property will mean to the owner, and explain the benefits and responsibilities of property registration. The property owner(s) shall have at least 60 days but not more than 75 days from the date of issuance of written notification to submit written comments to the Department and to concur in or object to the nomination of such property.
ii. For a nomination with more than 50 property owners, the Department may publish a public notice to property owners concerning the Department's intent to nominate instead of individually notifying all property owners. Such public notice shall be published at least 60 days but not more than 75 days before the State Review Board meeting during which the nomination is scheduled to be considered. Such public notice must be published in one or more local newspapers of general circulation in the area of the nomination.
9. At least 60 but not more than 75 days before the State Review Board meeting during which the nomination is scheduled to be considered, the Department shall send, via certified mail, to the applicable chief elected local official of the county and municipality in which the property is located written notice of the Department's intent to bring the nomination before the State Review Board on a specific date, time and place. Notifications of a proposed district shall include a map showing the district boundaries. In addition to informing the chief elected local official that the property is being considered for nomination to the New Jersey Register, the notice shall solicit written comments on the significance of the property and whether or not it meets the criteria for evaluation in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3. The chief elected local official shall have 60 but not more than 75 days from the date of issuance of written notification to submit written comments on the nomination to the Department.
10. The complete National Register Nomination Form shall be on file with the Department during the comment period in (c)8 and 9 above and a copy shall be made available by mail when requested by the public or made available at a location to which all affected property owners have reasonable access, such as a local library, municipal building, courthouse, or other public place so that written comments regarding the nomination can be prepared.
11. In the case of a nomination of an historic district including 50 or more property owners, the Department shall conduct a public meeting in the municipality in which the property is located prior to consideration of the application by the State Review Board. In the event of an archaeological nomination, the public meeting may be waived by the Department. The Department shall publish public notice of the meeting to property owners in accordance with provisions of (c)8ii above. The notification shall provide the following: a description of the proposed historic district, the benefits and responsibilities of historic district registration, the place that the nomination document can be examined prior to the meeting, and the date, time and place that the meeting will be held. Alternative methods of notification for the meeting such as publication in the official newspaper of the municipality, or in a newspaper circulating in the municipality may be used when the number of property owners in a proposed historic district exceeds 50.
12. Upon notification under (c)8 above, any owner or owners of a private property who objects to the nomination to the National Register shall submit to the Department a notarized statement certifying that the objector is the sole or partial owner of the private property and objects to the nomination. Upon receipt of notarized objections respecting a district or single private property with multiple owners, the Department shall ascertain how many owners have objected. If an owner whose name did not appear on the ownership list submits a written notarized statement from the municipality that the party is the sole or partial owner of a nominated private property, such owner shall be counted by the Department in determining how many owners have objected. Each owner of private property in a district shall be considered only once regardless of how many properties or what part of one property that party owns and regardless of whether the property contributes to the significance of district. Owner objections shall be considered by the State Historic Preservation Officer only with regard to submission of the nomination to the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places.
13. Completed National Register Nomination Forms, Department recommendations, and public comments concerning the significance of a property and its eligibility for the New Jersey and National Registers shall be submitted by the Department to the State Review Board. The State Review Board shall review the nomination forms and comments concerning the property's significance and eligibility for the New Jersey Register. The State Review Board shall evaluate whether or not the property meets the criteria for evaluation set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3 and make a recommendation to the State Historic Preservation Officer to approve or disapprove the nomination. The State Review Board may request that the applicant submit additional information before making a recommendation to the State Historic Preservation Officer. If a nomination is not recommended for approval by the State Review Board, the Board shall explain at the meeting the reasons for its determination that the property does not satisfy the criteria for evaluation set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3. The Board's explanation shall be made a part of the minutes of the meeting.
14. Nominations approved by the State Review Board, along with any comments received, shall be reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. If the State Historic Preservation Officer determines that a nomination is adequately documented and technically, professionally, and procedurally correct and sufficient and in conformance with the criteria for evaluation set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3, the State Historic Preservation Officer shall, within 90 days of the State Review Board meeting, sign the National Register Nomination Form and thereby place the property on the New Jersey Register and simultaneously recommend the nomination to the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240. All comments received by the Department and notarized statements of objection to listing received by the Department shall be submitted to the National Park Service along with the nomination. Historic properties placed on the New Jersey Register shall remain on the New Jersey Register regardless of the response of the National Park Service to the nomination to the National Register. The State Historic Preservation Officer's signature certifies that:
i. All procedural requirements set forth in this section have been met;
ii. The National Register Nomination Form is adequately documented;
iii. The National Register Nomination Form is technically and professionally correct and sufficient; and
iv. In the opinion of the State Historic Preservation Officer, the property meets the criteria for evaluation set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3.
15. If the State Historic Preservation Officer determines that the nominated property does not meet the criteria for evaluation set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3, the State Historic Preservation Officer shall, within 45 days of the State Review Board meeting, advise the applicant in writing of the reasons for the determination. In the event that the State Historic Preservation Officer determines that the nominated property does not meet the criteria for evaluation, the State Historic Preservation Officer need not sign the National Register Nomination Form.
16. If the State Historic Preservation Officer and the State Review Board disagree on whether a property meets the criteria for evaluation set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:4-2.3, the State Historic Preservation Officer, if he or she chooses, may submit the nomination, with an opinion concerning whether or not the property meets the criteria for evaluation and the opinion of the State Review Board, to the Keeper of the National Register for a final decision on the listing of the property in the National Register. The State Historic Preservation Officer shall submit such disputed nominations to the Keeper within 45 days after the recommendation by the State Review Board if so requested by the State Review Board, the chief elected official of the municipality in which the property is located, or by the Keeper of the National Register pursuant to federal rules for appeals under the National Register Program set forth in 36 CFR Part 60, Section 60.12 or subsequent amendments thereto.
17. If the owner of a nominated private property or the majority of such owners of a nominated historic district or single property with multiple owners has objected to the nomination to the National Register by notarized statements before the State Historic Preservation Officer submits the nomination to the Keeper, the State Historic Preservation Officer shall sign the National Register Nomination Form, but shall submit the nomination to the Keeper only for a determination of whether the property or historic district is eligible for the National Register pursuant to the federal rules for the National Register Program set forth in 36 CFR Part 60, section 60.6(n) and (s) or subsequent amendments thereto.
18. Nominations will be included in the National Register within 45 days of receipt by the Keeper of a completed National Register Nomination Form from the State Historic Preservation Officer unless:
i. The Keeper returns the nomination to the State Historic Preservation Officer because the National Register Nomination Form is not adequately documented and technically and professionally correct and sufficient;
ii. The Keeper returns the nomination to the State Historic Preservation Officer because the Keeper has determined that the nominated property or historic district does not meet the criteria for listing in the National Register set forth in 36 CFR Part 60, section 60.4 or subsequent amendments thereto;
iii. An appeal is filed with the Keeper as provided in (c)22 below; or
iv. The owner of the nominated private property or the majority of the owners of property in a nominated historic district or single property with multiple owners objects by notarized statements received by the Keeper before the property or historic area is listed on the National Register.
19. When a nomination is returned to the State Historic Preservation Officer as provided in (c)18i and ii above, the State Historic Preservation Officer shall notify the applicant that the nomination has been returned. The notification shall include an explanation of the reasons for the return of the nomination. Upon receipt by the State Historic Preservation Officer of sufficient additional information from the applicant addressing the reasons for the return of the nomination, the State Historic Preservation Officer shall resubmit the nomination to the Keeper.
20. Any person or organization which supports or opposes the nomination of a property by the State Historic Preservation Officer for listing in the National Register may, during the review of the nomination by the National Park Service, petition the Keeper to accept or reject a nomination pursuant to the federal rules for appeals under the National Register Program, 36 CFR Part 60, Section 60.6(t) or subsequent amendments thereto. The petitioner must state the grounds of the petition and request in writing that the Keeper substantively review the nomination. Such petitions received by the Keeper prior to the listing of the property in the National Register or a determination of its eligibility where the private owners object to listing will be considered by the Keeper and the nomination will be substantively reviewed. Decisions by the Keeper on such petitions shall not affect a property's listing in the New Jersey Register.
21. If the Department determines not to nominate a property for inclusion in the National Register or the State Historic Preservation Officer does not nominate a property recommended by the State Review Board for inclusion in the National Register, any person or local government may appeal to the Keeper the failure or refusal of the State Historic Preservation Officer to nominate a property to the National Register that the person or local government considers to meet the criteria for listing in the National Register set forth in 36 C.F.R. 60.4 or subsequent amendments thereto. Such appeals shall be made in accordance with Federal rules for appeals under the National Register Program (36 C.F.R. 60.12) or subsequent amendments thereto. Regardless of the decision by the Keeper, the State Historic Preservation Officer is not obligated to place the property on the New Jersey Register.
22. If subsequent to nomination of a property for listing in the New Jersey Register and National Registers, major revisions are made to the nomination or a property previously rejected by the Department or Keeper is renominated, the State Historic Preservation Officer shall notify the affected property owner(s) and the chief elected local official of the county and municipality in which the property is located of the revisions or renomination in the same manner as the original notification for the nomination under (c)8 and 9 above. In the case of major revisions, the Department may resubmit the nomination to the State Review Board or treat it as a new nomination to be processed in accordance with this section. Comments received and notarized statements of objection shall be forwarded to the Keeper along with the revisions or renomination. The State Historic Preservation Officer shall also certify by the resubmittal that the affected property owner(s) and the chief elected local officials have been renotified.