BIKE: Historic Preservation (Was: The downtown Trolley vs. "Other" Election)

[Jeb Boyt]

----Original Message Follows----
From: Richard Ryan <dicryan>
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 08:00:14 -0700 (PDT)

Speaking as a member of the OWANA neighborhood, I can assure you, our 
concern for saving historic buildings is genuine.  Many of us volunteered to 
do survey work and research so that we could get our neighborhood listed on 
the National Register of Historic Places.  We experience pain and grief 
everytime we lose a historic resourse in our neighborhood.
-----------------------------------------

Dick,

The distinction here is between an objection based on a genuine concern for 
a historic structure as opposed to historic concerns being added on to 
general opposition to a development project.  Part of the issue here is what 
is a historic structure and what should be protected.

Currently, any structure more than 50 years old could be designated as 
historic.  Which means that my house, built in 1954, could qualify as an 
example of post-war suburban architecture and development patterns (however, 
I have probably remodled it too much to qualify).  Under this standard most 
of the houses in the Central City, certainly most between Koenig and Oltorf, 
could potentially qualify as historic.

As to what should be protected, this is a more subjective question which 
unfortunately often turns more on a question of who lived in the house 
rather than the architectural significance of the building.  Often, the 
result is that any house that can be connected to a beloved professor at UT 
receives historic designation.

Jeb