Want A Preservation Grant? Check Out The Morris County Workshop

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ - The Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund is now accepting grant applications for 2020 funding.

To be eligible for a matching grant, a historic resource must be listed or certified eligible for listing on the State Register or National Register of Historic Places. Eligible applicants are municipalities, qualified non-profit organizations and the county.

Application forms are available at planning.morriscountynj.gov.

Schedule:

• Jan. 29: Application Workshop at Morris County Cultural Center, Morris Twp.
• Feb. 28: Declaration of Intent due to Morris County
• March 27: Grant Application Deadline

The Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation will hold a workshop to explain the application process on Jan. 29, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the County Cultural Center, 300 Mendham Rd. (Route 510), Morris Township.

It will be an opportunity to ask questions about the program and suitability of projects such as:

• Is my project eligible?
• What kinds of projects were funded in the past?
• Can cemeteries apply?
• Are Construction Documents required for construction projects?
• What if my project isn’t currently listed on the National and New Jersey Registers?

There are some key rules changes in the program for 2020.

“Religious Institutions” have been removed as an eligible applicant category, a change made to reflect the 2018 state Supreme Court ruling that prohibits county historic preservation funding of religious buildings, even if they have historic significance.

Also, the criteria for “Charitable Conservancy” now conforms to specific wording in the state statute. Therefore, the category “Educational Institutions” has been removed as a specific eligible applicant.

An educational institution still could apply if it is a non-profit 501(c)(3) (Internal Revenue Code) entity with purposes including historic preservation as defined in the statute.

At the Jan. 29 workshop, staff from the Office of Planning and Preservation will answer questions about project eligibility requirements, the kinds of projects funded in the past, the review process and any other questions applicants may have about the Trust Fund.

According to program coordinator Ray Chang, three types of applications are available:

• Projects that are principally construction related will require a Construction Application.
• Grant requests for acquisition and preservation planning documents should be completed on a Preservation Planning Application;
• Grant requests for the preparation of Construction Documents should be completed on the Construction Documents Application.

Applications must be returned to the county no later than March 27. Applicants must also submit a “Declaration of Intent” to the county by Feb. 28.

The Morris County Historic Preservation Trust Fund Review Board recommended $2.9 million in county grants from the county’s 2019 Preservation Trust Fund to help preserve, restore, or protect 26 historic sites in 18 towns across Morris County. The county Board of Freeholders approved the recommendations.

Projects ranged from $10,175 for construction documents for the Acorn Hall Carriage House in Morristown to $70,833 towards roof replacement on the Union School House in Washington Township, and $480,000 towards acquisition of the historic Richards Block property in Dover.

You can obtain more information about the application process or the Historic Preservation Trust Fund by contacting Ray Chang at the Morris County Office of Planning and Preservation at (973) 829-8138 or rchang@co.morris.nj.us.

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