A Morris County review board recommended funding 25 historic‑preservation projects totaling $2,636,398, the panel reported at the Board of County Commissioners work session on June 25.

The recommendation came after the county’s Historic Preservation Trust Fund review board reviewed 29 applications that, the presenters said, requested more than $4 million. The board’s packet distributed at the meeting shows 13 of the 25 recommended projects are construction grants and 12 are non‑construction awards (planning or construction documents). The presenters said about 86% of recommended funding is for construction work.

The review board and county staff said the county’s outside preservation consultant reviewed each application for conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and that review‑board members conducted site visits before making recommendations. The review board recommended projects in 15 municipalities and said 24 of the 25 recommended projects would receive full funding of the requested amounts.

The board highlighted three projects included in the recommendations: restoration work at the Brookside Township community club, exterior restoration of the North Cottage on the Parsippany‑Troy Hills Craftsman Farm property, and conservation work for a former lockkeeper’s house tied to the Lake of Patcom (Roxbury) site now used as a museum. Presenters said they expect several applicants to return next year to seek construction funding following completion of preservation plans and construction documents.

The commissioners received the presentation, asked questions, and were told the review board’s recommendations will be placed on a future county commission meeting agenda for action. No formal county commission vote on these recommendations was recorded in the June 25 work session minutes.

Sources at the meeting emphasized that construction projects greater than $50,000 submitted by nonprofit corporations require public bidding and that preservation plans and coordinated construction documents are intended to ensure future work conforms to the Secretary of the Interior standards.

Questions about specific award amounts for individual projects were addressed during the presentation packet; the board will consider formal adoption at a subsequent public meeting.