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Moravian College • Preservation Master Plan
accepted best practice methods and procedures
for historic preservation. Also, a familiarity
with archeological resources and cultural
landscapes is highly desired. It is recommended
that the historic preservation specialist be given
the authority to oversee maintenance work
and special projects associated with historic
buildings, structures, and certain landscape
features. This individual should also be directly
involved in the planning process for new
construction projects to ensure preservation
issues are appropriately and adequately
addressed.
2. Develop Criteria for Design Consultant
Selection
When choosing architectural, engineering,
planning, or landscape consultants, Moravian
College should ensure that select members of
the design team have experience in historic
preservation and working within a historical
context. Developing design solutions that
are sensitive to the historic character and
setting of both campuses is critical to future
development. Since both campuses are also
within a larger historical framework associated
with the City of Bethlehem, all projects have
the potential for historic preservation issues
and concerns. Not only should the historic
character and integrity of on-campus buildings
and resources be considered, but the impact
on adjacent neighborhoods and districts as
well. An in-house review process is outlined in
recommendation #4 below. Without experience
in working in a historic setting, the project
design team may inadvertently disregard
important aspects of the project and its impacts
on surrounding historic resources. The selection
of experienced consultants, in conjunction with
a defined review process spearheaded by the
historic preservation specialist, will ensure
that Moravian College continues to meet its
stewardship goals.
3. Standardize Review Criteria
A standardized set of specific historic
preservation guidelines should be prepared to
be used during the review process for major
projects. The guidelines should be shared
with all design professionals, contractors
and construction managers responsible for
oversight and approval of work on campus.
Criteria should address compatibility of the
proposed project with surrounding buildings
and uses and impacts on historic character and
significant architectural features. In addition,
detailed design considerations are outlined
in the treatment guidelines for architecture
and landscapes within this Preservation Master
Plan.
New construction projects should be evaluated
and considered against both the specific
historic preservation guidelines and a series
of standard questions related to project
impacts. Ideally, projects that fail to meet an
established resource preservation/sensitive
treatment baseline would return to the
drawing board until modifications are made
and the baseline is reached. A baseline could
be as simple as adopting the U.S. Secretary
of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment
of Historic Properties and/or any historic
preservation design guidelines adopted by the
City of Bethlehem used for review of proposed
development projects.
For all proposed construction projects on
campus, the following issues and related
questions should be addressed:
A. Assess how the project will directly impact
significant historic resources on campus.
• Is a significant historic building the
subject of the proposed project? If so,
what significant architectural features
are affected?
• Are there significant landscape
features and/or archeological deposits
identified in the immediate vicinity of
the proposed project? If so, what are
the features/deposits and how are they
to be affected?
• If no known archeological deposits are
in the vicinity, what is the likelihood
they might exist? If the likelihood is
“high” an archeological assessment
survey should be completed early on
in project planning.
B. Assess how the project will indirectly impact
significant historic resources on campus.
• Are there significant historic buildings
adjacent to the proposed project? If so,
how will the proposed project affect
John Milner Associates • October 2009 • Chapter 10 • New Construction • 317