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HPC consultant kickoff underway; commission to develop design guidelines including solar rules
Summary
Commission members reported a kickoff meeting with consultant Dominique Hawkins to draft design guidelines for Princeton's historic districts; members said the guidelines will address solar visibility and take several months to deliver draft materials.
Commissioners reported a kickoff meeting with design‑guidelines consultant Dominique Hawkins and discussed next steps for drafting district‑specific guidance, including rules for rooftop solar in historic neighborhoods.
Julie (staff) and commissioners said they spent several hours on a site tour with the consultant to review the Central Business District and Witherspoon‑Jackson. Commissioners identified topics they want the consultant to address and named a subcommittee (Julie, David and Elrick) to coordinate with the consultant as draft materials are prepared.
Timeline and scope: Staff said some portions of the guidelines will be prepared and expected by the end of the year, while the consultant’s broader work was described elsewhere in the meeting as taking “12 to 14 months” with likely readiness beginning next year. Commissioners therefore discussed the guidelines as a work in progress: they will provide targeted input on solar, windows, siding and other recurring preservation issues and ask the consultant to deliver “bite‑sized” draft sections for review rather than a single large manuscript.
Commissioners also discussed coordination: the Princeton Environmental Commission offered to review solar guidance and work with HPC staff on how solar might be treated in district guidance. Commissioners asked staff to make sure the HPC’s priorities are fed to the consultant and to the subcommittee when draft deliverables arrive.
Ending: The commission expects to review the consultant’s draft sections in public meetings and asked members to forward specific concerns for inclusion in the consultant’s scope.
