Red Bank planning board reviews draft historic-design guidelines from HPC

The Red Bank Planning Board convened at 7:04 p.m. and heard a presentation from Steven Smalling, a representative of the Historic Preservation Commission, on draft historic design guidelines funded by a grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust.

The guidelines are intended to provide exterior design guidance for two locally designated historic districts — Broad Street and Washington Street — and to advance objectives in Red Bank’s master plan and historic-preservation plan element. Smalling emphasized the guidelines are advisory: "They are not building code," he said, and "the design guidelines are only speaking to the exterior." The commission told the board the draft was accepted by the HPC shortly before the meeting and that an architectural-survey component focused on the Broad…