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Lambertville submits Certified Local Government application to expand historic-preservation control
Summary
Councilors said the city submitted a Certified Local Government application to the National Park Service, which would open federal preservation grants and let the town apply locally appropriate historic-preservation criteria that can affect flood-damage decisions for historically significant structures.
The Lambertville council announced it submitted a Certified Local Government (CLG) application to the National Park Service and discussed how CLG status would change the city's approach to historic preservation and some flood-related regulations.
Council members described CLG status as a way to access dedicated federal preservation funds and to build local capacity—historians, architects and professional reviewers—so the city can make local determinations about historic resources rather than relying on outside lists. "It opens you as a municipality to dedicated grant funding at the federal level," one council member said.
Why it matters: The council linked the CLG application to post-Ida recovery and flood-response concerns. Under federal flood regulations and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), some applicants who trigger flood-damage-control rules must seek variances or relief that can be costly. The council said CLG status would allow more locally tailored determinations that, in specific historic cases, could avoid triggering unnecessary or ill-fitting external requirements.
Council members emphasized the complexity of the process and said the application submission is only the start; ongoing work will be required to satisfy federal criteria and to integrate CLG responsibilities into planning and flood-damage decision-making.
Next steps: The town awaits federal review, anticipates back-and-forth with the National Park Service, and expects the certification process to require continued staff and commission work.
