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Dominique Hawkins presents Princeton draft preservation guidelines; public comment open through Aug. 24
Summary
Preservation architect Dominique Hawkins unveiled draft historic-preservation architectural guidelines for Princeton on July 20; the document (covering topics such as roofing, chimneys and solar panels) is open for public comment through Aug. 24, with an in-person presentation Aug. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in Witherspoon Hall.
Preservation architect Dominique Hawkins presented Princeton's draft historic-preservation architectural tools and guidelines during a meeting that opened a public comment period running from July 20 through Aug. 24.
Hawkins, introduced by meeting host Leighton as “an internationally respected preservation architect” who completed the kit for the Historic Preservation Commission, said the guidelines are intended to help homeowners, prospective homeowners, architects, contractors and others "better understand how to plan exterior changes in our historic districts while preserving the character that makes these neighborhoods so special." "The guidelines are actually set up in a way that hopefully is very easy for homeowners and property owners to use," Hawkins said.
The draft is organized into chapter-length sections tied to common project types. Hawkins said chapters are cross-referenced so users working on larger projects — for example an addition — can consult multiple chapters; she pointed to the roofing chapter as an example that also includes chimneys and solar panels because "all of those things are applied to a roof." That structure is intended to clarify how the Historic Preservation Commission will evaluate proposed exterior changes.
Staff member Sarah explained how to submit feedback: the town will highlight a feedback form on the Princeton homepage and cross-post it to the Historic Preservation Commission page, the Office of Historic Preservation page and the planning department page. The news flash will include a link to the full draft document and to chapter-specific comment pages with comment boxes. Sarah said commenters should provide page numbers for specific chapter feedback "so we could best incorporate it into the now draft document."
An in-person presentation and feedback session is scheduled for Aug. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the main meeting room in Witherspoon Hall. Sarah said the written comment period is open from "today, July 20 until August 24." She emphasized written chapter-level feedback helps staff and commissioners incorporate public input into revisions.
No votes or formal actions were recorded during the segment. The presentation concluded with an invitation to review the full draft online and to attend or submit written comments before the Aug. 24 deadline.
