HISTORIC PRESERVATION ISSUES: Pretty Is As Pretty Does

     Last week I had a thought-provoking phone conversation with a woman interested in purchasing a duplex in Mesta Park.  She called me with questions like, "What kinds of exterior changes will I be able to make?"; "Can I put stucco over the asphalt shingle siding in order to make it look more like the surrounding properties?"; "Is it possible to convert the duplex to a single family home by changing the two front doors to one front door?"  Her questions led us to discuss the purpose of Historic Preservation zoning and the process  by which we make decisions regarding whether or not an exterior change is appropriate. 

    A common argument for wanting to change an exterior feature is that it'll make the house look "prettier."  Now, I like pretty things as much as anyone else, but, in fact, there lies the problem.  My mother and I have very different ideas about what constitutes "pretty."  She likes big, bold sweaters with Santa Clauses on them during Christmas season, whereas they make me want to gag.  The same goes for various "fancifications" to historic homes.  I drive around the neighborhood and am appalled at some of the changes people made back in the '70s, but whoever made the change at the time thought, "Damn, that looks good!"  Consider the color of your neighbor's house--I'll bet I could find bushels of people who hate the color, no matter WHAT it is.  We all have different tastes.

    These differences are the very reason we have our Historic Preservation Guidelines and Ordinance.  Imperfect as they are, they offer some standards for what is acceptable and what isn't, based on the historic appearance of the house, not upon what each of us thinks is prettier.  Pretty does not equal historic, and the preservation of our neighborhood's history and character is what our HP Guidelines are all about.  Exterior changes that bring the property back to its original appearance are encouraged, whereas changes that take the house further from its original appearance are discouraged or prohibited.  This solves the problem of Historic Preservationists being labeled the "taste police," because it's not taste that determines what gets approved and what does not; it is historic appearance.

    After our discussion, the woman who called me with all the questions had to make a decision about whether she could live with the HP zoning requirements, or whether she would look for a property elsewhere.  Although she wasn't sure she would buy the duplex, she adamantly insisted that she'd continue to look for a property in Mesta Park, because she thought the neighborhood was "magical."  Hey. . . I appreciated the compliment, but there's nothing magic about it.  Mesta Park's charm and character are preserved and maintained by our commitment to Historic Preservation, and hopefully, no matter what we each wear at Christmas time, we can all agree on that.

Note:  Please contact me with any questions you have about Historic Preservation.