Any development, construction, alteration, rehabilitation or repair of any sign, building or property within the four designated Historic Districts of the City or a landmark building, requires the owner of the property to first secure a Certificate of No Effect (CoNE) or a Certificate of Appropriateness (CoA) from the Jersey City Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), before work commences whether or not a construction permit is required.
Most work is reviewed by the staff of the Historic Preservation Commission and may be approved under a Certificate of No Effect with any necessary conditions. Generally, work that is approved by staff under a Certificate of No Effect consists of rehabilitation, restoration, maintenance and repairs. Applications for interior work which requires a permit from the office of the Zoning Officer or the Construction Code Official but has been determined to have no adverse effect on a landmark building is also issued a Certificate of No Effect.
The Historic Preservation Commission generally reviews applications for Certificates of Appropriateness which are sought for projects which include new construction, rear yard and rooftop additions, demolitions and work that does not appear to be consistent with the City’s Historic Preservation Standards and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for the treatment of Historic Properties. When an application has been determined to be complete, Staff will calendar the project for a hearing on the Historic Preservation Commission’s Calendar. Monthly meetings are generally held in the City Council Chambers on the second or third Monday of the Month and all applications must be presented to Staff at least two weeks before the planned hearing date for calendar consideration to allow enough time for review for completeness.
Homeowners, architects, contractors and applicants are always welcome to informally discuss their projects with the Commission’s Staff before submitting an application.
• HPC Application Form
• HPC Meeting Calendar