Stronger than the Storm? Promoting the Post-Sandy Resilience of Historic Resources in New Jersey’s Coastal Communities Charles Hovanic Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree: Master of Science in Historic Preservation Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Columbia University (May 2016) 1 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... 4 Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 1: Introduction................................................................................................................ 7 Chapter 2: Literature Review .......................................................................................................12 Resilience & Historic Resources .............................................................................................12 Superstorm Sandy & Historic Resources ..................................................................................23 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................29 Chapter 3: Character & Significance of the Jersey Shore ...............................................................32 Region ...................................................................................................................................33 Monmouth County ................................................................................................................35 Ocean County.......................................................................................................................37 Atlantic County .....................................................................................................................39 Cape May .............................................................................................................................40 History ...................................................................................................................................41 Ecology ..................................................................................................................................48 Demographics ........................................................................................................................51 Municipal Politics in New Jersey .............................................................................................54 Economics .............................................................................................................................56 Historic Preservation ..............................................................................................................57 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................61 Chapter 4: Superstorm Sandy & the Preservation Community’s Response .....................................62 Superstorm Sandy ......................................................................................................................62 Response .............................................................................................................................64 Reconstruction ......................................................................................................................66 Historic Resources .................................................................................................................67 New Jersey Historic Preservation Office ..................................................................................74 New Jersey Historic Trust .......................................................................................................83 Preservation New Jersey..........................................................................................................90 2 Beach Haven Historic Preservation Advisory Committee ..........................................................95 Ocean City Historic Preservation Commission ....................................................................... 101 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 109 Chapter 5: Key Challenges in Preparedness & Recovery ............................................................. 111 Surveys & Planning .............................................................................................................. 111 Flood Insurance ................................................................................................................... 124 Interpreting Significance & Appropriateness .......................................................................... 131 Beyond the Key Challenges ................................................................................................... 145 Chapter 6: Opportunities for Change ......................................................................................... 152 Inventory Resources ............................................................................................................. 158 Vulnerability Assessment ...................................................................................................... 160 Formulate, Evaluate, and Compare Alternatives ..................................................................... 163 Implementation .................................................................................................................... 174 Recommendations for Agencies ............................................................................................ 177 Chapter 7: Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 182 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................ 186 3 Acknowledgements The process of taking a topic of interest and developing it into an academic thesis was both a challenging and informative experience. The consistent support of my advisor, Carol Clark, allowed me to fully realize my goals of producing something I am proud of. I am grateful for her positive affirmation that sustained me, as well as her doses of reality that pushed me out of my comfort zone. I am appreciative of my reader Erica Avrami, whose perspective and clarity of thought empowered me to more clearly articulate my arguments. I also thank my reader Mary Delaney Krugman, who not only opened up her shore house for me, but also provided an invaluable body of knowledge that demonstrates her expertise and passion for an issue. However, this thesis would be at a loss without the remarkable and informative perspectives of the preservationists I interviewed. For sharing their experiences with me. I thank Jack Ball, Ken Cooper, Jaime Cornell-Fine, Jeffrey Frost, John Loeper, Susan Matthews, Jeffrey Sutherland, and Marian Talese [Ocean City Historic Preservation Commission]; Oscar Beisert and Mary Neustadter [Federal Emergency Management Agency]; Michael Calafti [Michael Califati Architect, LLC]; Dorothy Guzzo and Jennifer Stark [New Jersey Historic Trust]; Tim Hudson and Jennifer Wellock [National Park Service]; Deborah Kelly [Preservation New Jersey]; Jonathan Kinney, Daniel Saunders, and Andrea Tingey [New Jersey Historic Preservaton Office]; Edie Kopsitz [Cape May Historic Preservation Commission]; and Jeanette Lloyd [Beach Haven Historic 4 Preservation Advisory Committee]. In the face of unprecedented challenges, this group of people truly demonstrated an ingenuity and talent that protected and strengthened New Jersey’s heritage. Finally, I thank my family for instilling me with a love for the Jersey Shore. The traditions, memories, and pure fun that have brought my family down the shore every year of my life serves as the foundation for the sense of connection and continuity that I feel with the place. The ocean and the beach would matter little if it were not for the love, support, and joy that my family brings me. 5 Abstract This thesis seeks to contribute to the resilience of historic resources on the Jersey Shore by analyzing ways in which the New Jersey preservation community’s response to Superstorm Sandy can inform future plans for hazard mitigation and adaptation to climate change. In order to accomplish this, this work attempts to identify the pre-existing conditions that influenced the ways in which preservationists responded to Superstorm Sandy, the strengths and weaknesses of preservation agencies’ responses, and how these can inform the ways in which heritage practitioners promote the resilience of historic resources in the face of climate change. By compiling oral histories of preservationists working in the aftermath of Sandy, this thesis provides a comprehensive narrative for a previously untold story. Additionally, this research aims to contribute to the growing body knowledge surrounding the incorporation of historic preservation into planning for both natural disasters and sea level rise. Taking the issues identified on the Jersey Shore and recognizing the opportunities for change, this thesis fills a gap in academic literature by discussing how preservationists can practically apply adaptation and mitigation measures. 6 Chapter