[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 38 (Tuesday, April 12, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1320
 
         GREAT FALLS PRESERVATION AND REDEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1994

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 3498) to establish the Great Falls Historic District, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3498

       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 1994''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds that--
       (1) the Great Falls Historic District in the State of New 
     Jersey is an area of historical significance as an early site 
     of planned 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 and has been designated 
     a National Historic Landmark;
       (3) 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;
       (4) the District was originally established by the Society 
     of Useful Manufactures, an organization whose leaders 
     included a number of historically renowned individuals, 
     including Alexander Hamilton; and
       (5) the Great Falls Historic District has been the subject 
     of a number of studies which have shown that the District 
     possesses a combination of historic significance and natural 
     beauty worthy of and uniquely situated for preservation and 
     redevelopment.

     SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

       The purpose of this Act is to preserve and interpret for 
     the educational and inspirational benefit of the public, the 
     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 is authorized to enter into 
     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 State or local government agencies or 
     nonprofit entities for each of the following:
       (1) The preparation of a plan for the development of 
     historic, architectural, natural, cultural, and interpretive 
     resources within the District. The plan shall include each of 
     the following:
       (A) An evaluation of--
       (i) the existing condition of historic and architectural 
     resources; and
       (ii) the environmental and flood hazard conditions within 
     the District.
       (B) Recommendations for--
       (i) rehabilitating, reconstructing, and adaptively reusing 
     such historic and architectural resources;
       (ii) preserving viewsheds, focal points, and streetscapes;
       (iii) establishing gateways to the District;
       (iv) establishing and maintaining parks and public spaces;
       (v) restoring, improving, and developing raceways and 
     adjacent areas;
       (vi) developing public parking areas;
       (vii) improving pedestrian and vehicular circulation within 
     the District;
       (viii) improving security within the District, with an 
     emphasis on preserving historically significant structures 
     from arson; and
       (ix) establishing a visitor's center.
       (2) Implementation of projects approved by the Secretary 
     pursuant to the Plan.
       (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) Capital Projects.--(1) Application for funds for 
     capital projects and improvements under this Act shall be 
     submitted to the Secretary and shall include a description of 
     how the project proposed to be funded will further the 
     purposes of the District.
       (2) In making such funds available, the Secretary shall 
     give consideration to projects which provide a greater 
     leverage of Federal funds. Any payment made shall be subject 
     to an agreement that conversion, use, or disposal of the 
     project so assisted for purposes contrary to the purposes of 
     this Act, as determined by the Secretary, shall result in a 
     right of the United States of reimbursement of all funds made 
     available to such project or the proportion of the increased 
     value of the project attributable to such funds as determined 
     at the time of such conversion, use, or disposal, whichever 
     is greater.

     SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

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

     SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to 
     carry out this Act not more than--
       (1) $3,000,000 for capital projects;
       (2) $250,000 for planning; and
       (3) $50,000 for technical assistance.

     Funds made available pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) shall 
     not exceed 50 percent of the total costs of the project to be 
     funded. The authority to expend funds under this Act shall 
     expire 5 years from the date of enactment.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mazzoli). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Vento] will be recognized for 20 minutes, 
and the gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen] will be recognized for 20 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Vento].


                             general leave

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on 
the bill, H.R. 3498.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Minnesota?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3498, which establishes the Great Falls Historic 
District in Paterson, NJ was introduced by congressman Herb Klein on 
November 10, 1993, and was favorably reported to the House of 
Representatives by the Committee on Natural Resources on March 23, 
1994.
  Paterson, NJ, near the Great Falls of the Passaic River, was one of 
the country's first manufacturing centers. Impressed by the potential 
of the Great Falls as an energy source, and committed to demonstrating 
the profitability of manufacturing in America rather than depending on 
foreign goods, Alexander Hamilton had founded the Society of Useful 
Manufacturers [SUM] in 1791 to implement planning and growth in 
Paterson, NJ. With the simultaneous development of the raceway system 
to harness the river's power, Paterson became an early site of 
industrial development, generating such products as the Colt revolver, 
the Rogers steam locomotive, Wright Aeronautic engines and the first 
practical submarine.
  In fiscal year 1992, $4.2 million was appropriated through the 
National Park Service construction budget for Paterson, NJ's Great 
Falls Historic District. While the Great Falls Historic District is 
listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been 
designated a national historic landmark, this area is neither a unit 
nor an affiliated area of the National Park System; further 
appropriations require specific authorization.
  H.R. 3498, as reported by the committee, establishes the Great Falls 
Historic District and authorizes the Secretary to enter into 
cooperative agreements and to make grants to State, local or non-profit 
entities for the evaluation of the District's resources, the 
development of recommendations for their preservation, and the 
implementation of such recommendations. The amendment limits future 
appropriations to $3 million for development, $250,000 for planning and 
$50,000 for technical assistance. Both planning and development 
projects require a 50 percent match for Federal funds.
  As most of my colleagues know, I am committed to enacting legislation 
addressing these types of geographically and thematically united areas, 
which include significant resources worthy of preservation and 
conservation, but are not appropriate for designation as units of the 
National Park Service. Given the increasing number of such proposals, I 
believe we must establish a consistent, effective process by which they 
are evaluated and designated, so that scarce National Park Service 
dollars are used effectively to only fund authorized, worthy projects.
  In this instance, funds have already been appropriated and expended, 
and plans have already been drafted for further National Park Service 
involvement. At this point, I believe we must establish clear authority 
and limits on further funding for these areas so that the National Park 
Service budget does not become increasingly burdened by open-ended 
appropriations for areas which are not owned or operated by the 
National Park Service. I believe the bill, as amended, provides for 
appropriated assistance to Paterson while limiting further National 
Park Service involvement, and I urge my colleagues' support.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3498. The Great Falls 
Historical District in Paterson, NJ, is an area of national historical 
importance and that is the very reason the area is already designated 
as a National Historic Landmark District. At the subcommittee hearing 
on November 16, 1993 the Park Service testimony stated:

       We recommend against the enactment of either H.R. 1104 or 
     the proposed substitute (H.R. 3498). The National Park 
     Service is already fulfilling an appropriate preservation 
     assistance role in the historic district of Paterson * * *. 
     It is important to point out first that the Great Falls 
     Historic District has already been federally designated.

  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3498 simply represents a vehicle for channeling 
even more Federal dollars to this area. As the Park Service testified, 
we are already spending Federal dollars in this area through the Park 
Service and they are fulfilling an appropriated preservation role in 
Paterson. The Park Service simply cannot afford further mandates that 
will stretch their resources even thinner.
  I appreciate Chairman Vento's efforts to fix this legislation and I 
agree with many of his ideas. However, the $3 million authorized for 
capital projects is excessive and some of the authorities granted the 
Park Service go too far. We already have approximately 2,000 National 
Historic Landmarks and we cannot afford to increase the funding and the 
presence by the National Park Service at each of these sites. Local 
areas of historic or natural interest simply need to start looking for 
local input and local dollars. The Park Service has already been 
providing assistance to the Paterson area since 1976 and there is no 
need to increase that presence.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Klein], the principal sponsor of the 
bill whom I have already commended for this good work.
  Mr. KLEIN. Mr. Speaker, it is my sincere honor to represent the 
Eighth District of New Jersey, which is home to one of the truly unique 
areas in our great Nation. There are many areas of natural beauty 
throughout the United States, and many areas of unique cultural 
significance. But no single area brings together these two 
characteristics as splendidly as does the Great Falls District of 
Paterson, NJ.
  In 1791, Alexander Hamilton and others founded an industrial venture 
known as the Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures 
[SUM]. This society was the practical embodiment of the theory Hamilton 
espoused in his Report on Manufactures, that the establishment of 
American industries was the best way to fortify American independence. 
Under Hamilton's guidance, the SUM acquired land surrounding the Great 
Falls of the Passaic River in order to supply power to various mills 
and factories through a 2\1/2\-mile system of raceways. Much of the 
original raceway is still standing, but in extreme disrepair.
  As for natural beauty, the appeal of the Great Falls is obvious. 
Where else in urban America can one find a waterfall of such magnitude? 
For those who do not know, the Great Falls is the second largest 
waterfall east of the Mississippi. The Great Falls is a magnificent 
sight which, unfortunately, is an underpublicized and underutilized 
scenic resource.
  The preservation of the area's heritage and natural beauty have the 
potential to stimulate a larger economic recovery in this economically 
hard-hit region. This bill would not only give the Great Falls district 
the appropriate national recognition, it would provide for the 
significant historic restoration and capital improvements needed to 
make the area a magnet for tourism and stimulate the local economy. 
Past studies have shown that redevelopment of the Great Falls would 
serve as a linchpin to a larger revitalization plan. Although it is 
included in the National Register of Historic Places, this is hardly 
sufficient for an area as unique and notable as the Great Falls.
  H.R. 3498 does not ask the Park Service to be responsible for the 
entire redevelopment of Paterson. This bill will provide the funds 
needed to carry out the specialized assistance that is needed to 
protect and preserve the unique structures and waterways of the Great 
Falls. Areas of great need, such as the middle and lower raceway, 
surface demolition and cleanup of ATP site, and restoration of other 
historic properties like the Ronitix Complex, Hamilton Mill, and Sandoz 
Complex, require resources that cannot be mustered solely on the local 
or State level.
  H.R. 3498 has been carefully crafted to conform to the concerns of 
the Natural Resources Committee and the National Park Service. It has 
the support of the Clinton administration, the entire New Jersey 
congressional delegation, the city of Paterson, the Port Authority of 
New York and New Jersey, and the Paterson Historical Society.
  Let me conclude by thanking Chairman Vento and Chairman Miller, for 
their consideration. I also want to thank the staff for their 
assistance in perfecting this legislation. Their guidance has been 
indispensable in creating a quality piece of legislation. Also, I want 
to thank the many people in the National Parks Service, both in 
Washington and in the regional office in Philadelphia, for their advice 
in how best to proceed with the work that needs to be done, and I look 
forward to working with them in the future to ensure that this unique 
national resource is preserved for future generations.

                              {time}  1330

  Mr. Speaker, I urge support for H.R. 3498.
  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I urge 
support for this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mazzoli). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Vento] that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3498, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion and on 
H.R. 3770 will be postponed until tomorrow.

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