[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3498 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3498

To establish the Great Falls Historic District, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 10, 1993

  Mr. Klein (for himself, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Andrews of New Jersey, Mr. 
 Gallo, Mr. Payne of New Jersey, Mr. Zimmer, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Nadler, 
  Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Barcia of Michigan, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Menendez, Mr. 
  Ackerman, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Torricelli, and Mr. Franks of New Jersey) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish the Great Falls Historic District, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Great Falls Preservation and 
Redevelopment Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) the Great Falls Historic District in the State of New 
        Jersey is an area of unique historical significance as the 
        first site of industrial development, and has remained largely 
        intact, including architecturally significant structures;
            (2) the Great Falls Historic District is listed on the 
        National Register of Historic Places;
            (3) the natural beauty and splendor of the Great Falls 
        makes the city of Paterson unique among major urban areas in 
        the United States;
            (4) the Great Falls Historic District is within a half hour 
        drive of New York City, and within two hours of Philadelphia, 
        Hartford, New Haven, and Wilmington;
            (5) the District was established by the Society of Useful 
        Manufactures, an organization whose leaders included such 
        historically renowned individuals as Alexander Hamilton; and
            (6) the Great Falls Historic District has been the subject 
        of a number of studies which have shown that the District is a 
        unique combination of historic significance and natural beauty 
        worthy of and uniquely situated for preservation and 
        redevelopment, including Urban Design and Historic Preservation 
        Plan, by A. Nelessen Associates, Inc. of Princeton, New Jersey 
        (1992); Rebuilding Paterson: The Third Century, by the Port 
        Authority of New York and New Jersey (1991); Great Falls 
        Historic District Redevelopment Plan, by the Department of 
        Community Development of the City of Paterson (1979); Historic 
        American Engineering Record Survey, by the United States 
        Department of the Interior (1974); and Field Evaluation of the 
        Great Falls/S.U.M. Historic District, by the Smithsonian 
        Institution and the National Trust for Historic Preservation 
        (1972).

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to preserve and interpret the 
educational and inspirational benefit of the unique and distinguished 
contribution to our national heritage of certain historic and cultural 
lands, waterways and edifices of the Great Falls Historic District with 
emphasis on harnessing this unique urban environment for its 
educational and recreational value, as well as to enhance economic and 
cultural redevelopment within the District.

SEC. 4. GREAT FALLS HISTORIC DISTRICT.

    (a) Establishment.--There is hereby established in the city of 
Paterson in the county of Passaic in the State of New Jersey the Great 
Falls Historic District.
    (b) Boundaries.--The boundaries of the District shall be the 
boundaries as specified for the Great Falls Historic District listed on 
the National Register of Historic Places.

SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall administer the District 
through cooperative agreements in accordance with this Act. In 
expending moneys appropriated pursuant to this Act, the Secretary may 
make grants to and enter into cooperative agreements with nonprofit 
entities for the purchase of property or easements, emergency 
stabilization, and the establishment of a coordinated fund to carry out 
the purposes of this Act, including (but not limited to) the following:
            (1) An evaluation of--
                    (A) the existing condition of historic and 
                architectural resources; and
                    (B) the environmental and flood hazard conditions 
                within the District.
            (2) Recommendations for--
                    (A) rehabilitating, reconstructing, and adaptively 
                reusing such historic and architectural resources;
                    (B) preserving viewsheds, focal points, and 
                streetscapes;
                    (C) establishing gateways to the District;
                    (D) establishing and maintaining parks and public 
                spaces;
                    (E) restoring, improving, and developing raceways 
                and adjacent areas;
                    (F) developing public parking areas;
                    (G) improving pedestrian and vehicular circulation 
                within the District;
                    (H) improving security within the District, with an 
                emphasis on preserving historically significant 
                structures from arson; and
                    (I) establishing a visitor's center.
    (b) Restoration, Maintenance, and Interpretation.--The Secretary 
may enter into cooperative agreements with the owners of properties 
within the District of historical or cultural significance as 
determined by the Secretary, pursuant to which the Secretary may mark, 
interpret, improve, restore, and provide technical assistance with 
respect to the preservation and interpretation of such properties. Such 
agreements shall contain, but need not be limited to, provisions that 
the Secretary shall have the right of access at reasonable times to 
public portions of the property for interpretive and other purposes, 
and that no changes or alterations shall be made in the property except 
by mutual agreement.
    (c) Cooperative Agreements With State.--In administering the 
District, the Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with the 
State of New Jersey, or any political subdivision thereof, for the 
rendering, on a reimbursable basis, of rescue, firefighting, and law 
enforcement services and cooperative assistance by nearby law 
enforcement and fire preventive agencies and for other appropriate 
purposes.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act--
            (1) the term ``District'' means the Great Falls Historic 
        District established by section 4; and
            (2) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the 
        Interior.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act.

                                 <all>