Editorial: Securing Rutherford's legacy
Both the Historic Preservation Committee and the Shade Tree Commission have stated they want better communication with the building department when it comes to the demolition of homes and construction in order to maintain Rutherford's historical legacy as well our "Borough of Trees" status. In the spring, a home on Wheaton Place that was on Rutherford's historic registry was razed and recently the trees on the property were also taken down. The situation has raised the issue of the rights of individual property owners versus the rights of a neighborhood to preserve its historical value and tree canopy.
The Historic Preservation Committee wants to act in advisory capacity for homeowners when they purchase or plan any renovations to home that is on the registry, while the Shade Tree Commission wants to attempt to stop further deterioration of Rutherford's tree canopy as a whole.
Historic committee officials say they want homeowners who own a house on the registry to know the history and that value before making changes to its façade or demolishing the home. Close to 24 homes deemed historic have been demolished since the creation of the list in 1981. Although the town experienced a lull in home demolitions due to the economy, 13 have been demolished in five years. This year saw a surge with five so far. Two over the last few years were on the historical registry.
The Shade Tree is now a commission and is now serving in an advisory capacity for homeowners experiencing problems with trees on public property. A trust fund has also been formed from fines collected from residents for damaging public property trees, which will help buy trees to replenish lost trees. But the loss of private property trees should be worrisome, as well. Rutherford's canopy acts as a whole to alleviate flooding, keep us cool in the summer and beautify our neighborhoods. In 2009, the Shade Tree Committee presented the council with a draft ordinance which would create fees for removal of trees of a certain size and age on private property and would require notification to the then Shade Tree Committee of any construction or demolition where trees were involved. Unfortunately the ordinance never went anywhere.
Rights of homeowners are fundamental, but Rutherford's historical homes and tree canopy are key to keeping our legacy. Both the historic committee and the tree commission need to keep pushing this concept.