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Tenafly council weighs $50–$75 administrative fee for historic‑preservation certificate
Summary
The council discussed a Historic Preservation Commission recommendation to add an administrative fee of roughly $50–$75 for certificates of appropriateness; some members said they did not want to burden homeowners who elected historic designation.
The Tenafly Mayor and Council discussed a recommendation from the Historic Preservation Commission to add an administrative fee for applications for a certificate of appropriateness, proposed in the meeting materials at roughly $50 to $75.
Staff said the commission receives a handful of applications annually — estimated at fewer than 20 last year — and that the fee would be administrative revenue placed into the borough’s general fund (the Historic Preservation Commission is within the administrator’s office). A staff member said the proposal was part of a general review of fees and revenue opportunities and that the program would not generate large revenue.
Several council members expressed concern about adding another cost to owners of historically designated properties. “The work the commission does is wonderful … it’s very challenging to maintain historically preserved homes. It’s very expensive. So I'm not sure we want to add another fee to the homeowners who kind of have chosen to have their houses deemed historical,” one council member said.
No final vote was taken on the fee at the meeting; council discussion moved on to subsequent agenda items.
