Published: September 03, 2008 03:44 pm            

EDITORIAL: Historic preservation needs to be fair

When there are new laws, regulations and policies, you know not everyone is going to be happy. You’re never going to please everyone. Especially when it involves your local government.

You can count us among those who, at least initially, are not entirely pleased with the city’s proposed historic preservation ordinance.

In essence, the ordinance would be established to preserve the exterior of properties deemed historic, important, etc. Basically if you own one of these special, historic properties and want to do some exterior work, you’ll have to get that OK’d by the city.

Now, we’re all for preservation, to a point but sometimes we think preservation and history goes too far, with limited focus on the future and innovative thinking. That could be said for many Western New York communities.

Especially when an ordinance like this causes another unnecessary level of government. It’s another hoop to jump through for a property owner, when there are fewer and fewer of those as each day passes.

Here’s what we think: If the city and it’s group of volunteers looking to institute such a policy want something on the books, do it, but grandfather in those owners who already have a historic property.

If a resident purchased one of these properties in 2003 and now is being told any further exterior work needs to be approved by a board, then that’s not fair. If it wasn’t the policy then, it shouldn’t be the policy going forward with regard to that grandfathered property.

If a person purchases one of these properties from today going forward, tell them and hold them to the historic policy. Let it be known loud and clear what they are getting into when purchasing the property.

But to hold those who are already owners of such properties responsible for following a new-fangled ordinance, is unfair. Especially if their property ownership and work done to this point hasn’t raised the ire of city leaders to this point.

        

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