[Adopted 8-15-2012 by Ord. No. Z-193]
A.
Any individual or organization may apply to the City of Hoboken for
consent to install a sidewalk plaque on the public right-of-way along
any City street, walkway or pathway within City boundaries, to commemorate
a prominent person, business, historical element or event, provided
that:
(1)
Any person to be commemorated must be a real person and a resident
or former resident of the City of Hoboken for not less than five years.
(2)
Any business to be commemorated must be or have been in business
not less than 50 years.
(3)
Any historical element, including but not limited to historic
resources, buildings, structures, objects, sites and landscape features,
shall be thoroughly documented as to their historical significance
and certified as historically significant by the City of Hoboken Historic
Preservation Commission.
(4)
Any event, historical or cultural, shall be thoroughly documented
as to its significance to the community or its effect on the residents
of the community.
B.
Sidewalk plaque installations must be separated by a minimum of 20
feet unless expressly approved by the Mayor and City Council to deviate
from these criteria.
C.
Only one sidewalk plaque application shall be processed at a time.
Additional applications shall be placed on a waiting list and processed
in order of submission.
D.
Any application for installation of a sidewalk plaque along the right-of-way
of a county street or roadway shall require prior written approval
from the Hudson County Planning Board.
A.
All plaques shall be made of bronze and textured to be slip-resistant.
B.
Plaques shall be securely anchored, designed and installed flush
with the surface of the sidewalk.
C.
No plaque shall exceed three square feet in area, unless expressly
approved to do so by the City Council. It is recommended that plaques
be rectangular, 18 inches by 24 inches, or round with a diameter of
not more than 24 inches.
D.
All text and imagery shall be discernible and reasonably legibly
from a distance of four feet.
E.
A proposed sidewalk location shall have direct relevance to the person,
business or event which it is to commemorate.
The applicant must conform to the following procedure in applying
for consent to install a sidewalk plaque:
A.
The applicant shall submit to the City Director of Human Services
a completed application form, which shall be made available from the
City Clerk's office and on the City's web site.
B.
The application shall be accompanied by all necessary documentation to demonstrate compliance with the criteria for application set forth in § 168-1001.
(1)
For persons to be commemorated, the application must include
a complete biography of the proposed honoree with references of substantiation,
including but not limited to date of birth, and death if applicable,
years and locations of residency, honors received, contribution to
the local community, etc.
(2)
For businesses to be commemorated, the application must include
a complete biography of the proposed honoree with references of substantiation,
including but not limited to the dates the business operated, location
of operation, honors received, contribution to the community, etc.
(3)
For an historic element to be commemorated, the application
must be accompanied by documentation of the historical significance,
including but not limited to proof of listing on the New Jersey Register
of Historic Places, the National Register of Historic Places, or the
City of Hoboken Historic Preservation List of Established Sites or
Districts. Elements not formally identified on one of these lists
may still apply. Documents submitted will be considered by the Historic
Preservation Commission for certification.
(4)
For events of historical or cultural significance to be commemorated,
the application must be accompanied by documentation of the event,
including but not limited to period press clippings covering the event,
written or recorded accounts by local residents who were involved
in or witnesses to the event, a photographic account of the event,
and/or any other such physical proof.
(5)
Any business or individual previously honored with a commemorative
street sign may apply to replace that street sign with a sidewalk
plaque. Upon approval of the sidewalk plaque, the street sign will
be revoked.
C.
The application shall also include a rendering of the proposed sidewalk
plaque with detailed specification, text, and imagery to be used.
D.
Any application that is deemed incomplete by the City Director of
Human Services shall be returned to the applicant for additional documentation.
E.
The application shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable application
fee of $25.
Upon receipt of the applicant's submission packet, the City
shall process the application as follows:
A.
The City Director of Human Services shall, within 14 calendar days
after submission of the completed application, refer the sidewalk
plaque application to the Mayor of the City of Hoboken, the Hoboken
Historic Preservation Commission, and the Hoboken Planning Board for
review and determination as to appropriateness of the proposed sidewalk
plaque.
B.
The Mayor and reviewing boards shall have 45 calendar days, concurrent,
from the date of receipt to review the application and advise the
Director as to their recommendations. If either board or the Mayor
does not provide a recommendation within the forty-five-day period,
the Director shall forward the application to the City Council without
comment.
C.
The City Director of Human Services shall then prepare and submit
to the City Clerk a copy of the full application packet, the recommendations
of the Mayor, the Historic Preservation Commission and Planning Board,
and a draft resolution for distribution to the City Council. At the
direction of the Council President, the Clerk shall add the resolution
to the Council agenda for a public hearing.
D.
A public hearing shall be held before City Council on the proposed
sidewalk plaque. The Council shall approve or deny the application
upon determination of the best interests of the City.
A.
After Council approval of the sidewalk plaque, the applicant shall have one year from receipt of notice as specified in § 168-1005B in which to produce and install the plaque. The applicant shall be responsible for all costs associated with production, installation and maintenance. Approvals not acted upon within one year shall expire unless extended by resolution of the City Council.
B.
The City Clerk shall notify the applicant, in writing, within 30
days of approval. A certified copy of the resolution shall be included
in the notification, which shall be sent certified/return-receipt
via the United States Postal Service.
C.
The City Clerk shall also notify the Historic Preservation Commission,
the Planning Board, the Director of Environmental Services, the Zoning
Officer, the Construction Official, and the Hoboken Historic Museum
by providing a certified copy of the resolution.
D.
All necessary permits for sidewalk opening, alteration, replacement,
etc., must be obtained from the respective City agencies: Environmental
Services, Zoning and/or Construction, as required.
