Regulatory Compliance

From federal and state laws and regulations on down to county and municipal ordinances, the labyrinth of legislation and rules governing historic and archaeological resources is often overwhelming.  Government requirements for evaluating and managing the effects of development and changes in land use on historic buildings, districts and archaeological sites can vary widely from state to state and community to community.  Hunter Research senior staff are adept at shepherding private and corporate clients, public agencies, and engineers and architects through the maze of red tape and the applications and permits that are sometimes needed, providing clear direction on timelines and likely costs of regulatory compliance.

At the federal level, we are fully conversant with Sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act and the various permitting requirements of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  We have particular familiarity with the Secretary of the Interior’s standards for the treatment and rehabilitation of historic properties, and for preservation planning.  We regularly work under the rubric of the National Register of Historic Places program, evaluating and nominating historic properties for formal designation. 

The company has well established working relationships with the state historic preservation offices (SHPOs) in the Middle Atlantic and Northeastern United States, understanding their review processes and reporting requirements.  For example, in our home state we routinely handle projects requiring Applications for Project Authorization under the New Jersey Register of Historic Places Act.  We are closely familiar with the Pennsylvania History Code, the regulations of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and New Jersey’s Municipal Land Use Law.  Where hand-holding is required, Hunter Research will be there for you, realistically guiding your project to a successful conclusion.

Sample Projects Include:

Manhattan Avenue Wall
Union City, New Jersey

This project studied alternatives for rehabilitating a massive half-mile-long and 40-foot-high, historic stone retaining wall in Union City, New Jersey.   Continue
 

Frank Sinatra Post Office
City of Hoboken, New Jersey

Hunter Research was the lead cultural resources consultant for a private developer working under a redevelopment agreement with the U.S. Postal Service to construct a high-rise adjacent to the historic Frank Sinatra Post Office in Hoboken, New Jersey.   Continue
 

New Hampshire Department of Transportation Historic Bridge Survey
Statewide, New Hampshire

Hunter Research undertook a comprehensive statewide planning survey of almost 3,000 historic bridges for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.  Continue

Silver Run Electric Transmission Line
New Castle County, Delaware

Hunter Research facilitated Section 106 compliance for a major utility company constructing a new transmission line in Delaware.   Continue

Westtown School
Chester County, Pennsylvania

Our firm provided the private Westtown School with cultural resources services involving repairs to an earthen dam that creates a recreational pond on the school’s historic campus.   Continue

U.S. Army Reserve Center Decommissioning
Multiple States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Regions

Hunter Research conducted Section 106 architectural and archaeological surveys of nearly twenty U.S. Army Reserve Centers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island to advance planning for decommissioning them for other uses.   Continue

Historic Morven
Princeton, New Jersey

The company shepherded plans for improving this National Historic Landmark through a complex web of cultural resources compliance at he state level.   Continue

Central Park
Manhattan, New York City

For nearly three decades, Hunter Research has worked with the Central Park Conservancy on a variety of projects to identify and map these resources, and to assist park managers, landscape architects and conservators with protecting and designing projects that respect the park’s significant archaeology.   Continue

Columbia Lake Dam
Knowlton Township, Warren County, New Jersey

Hunter Research is often called up to evaluate potential historic properties or archaeological sites under the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s land use permitting rules.   Continue