Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press for binding guarantees before historic house is relocated under settlement
Summary
Neighbors and preservation groups told the Old Tappan council they want explicit, bonded guarantees and contractor vetting before any move of the century‑old house; counsel said moving firms will be licensed, insured and bonded but specifics remain for the planning board.
Residents and the Bergen County Historical Society used the public‑comment period to press the council for enforceable protections for a historic house included in the settlement for 244 Old Tappan Road. Multiple commenters said the house is more than a century old and warned it could crumble if moved; they urged bonds and a clear contractor vetting process.
H. Gelfand, chairman of the historic‑preservation committee at the Bergen County Historical Society, told the council, “At no point has it been demonstrated how this house is going to be moved, whether these investors are going to hire a legitimate firm that knows what it's doing to move the house, how that's going to happen, and are they going to spend the money to do it correctly?” Several residents asked that the buyer place a multi‑million‑dollar bond to protect the borough against damage or incomplete work.
Council members and borough counsel said the settlement conditions require financial guarantees and that a licensed, insured and bonded firm would be used for relocation. Council said those guarantees are conditions of approval and that plaintiffs have said they will fund the move. The council recorded those commitments on the record but left technical oversight, vetting and bonding amounts to follow in planning‑board review and permit conditions.
