All comments posted by users on the Greater Greater Washington post "HPO writing new rules for establishing historic districts" http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1439/hpo-writing-new-rules-for-establishing-historic-districts/ en-us http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1439/hpo-writing-new-rules-for-establishing-historic-districts/#comment-14635 I'm with Cavan on this.Much of the agenda that I have seen in the particular historic district that I live in is geared towards parking preservation, fighting the new trolley system, fighting density or appropriate infill, coming out against car sharing [ it takes away parking from those who wish to have multiple cars] and in general, NIMBYism from a lot of old farts who want to have a nice suburban style enclave in a city that was once a lot more populated and denser than it is now. These same people do nothing when mom & pop stores close and are turned into residences- thus contributing to the car dependency and increase in driving.A real focus on preservation- and less on these other issues- as well as a sense that the historic people are not out to punish people for doing basically miniscule things to their homes needs to come about. Many old timers are against preservationists as they are seen as people out on some kind of power trip.All of this must change and we need to come into the 21st century and get away from a car- centric vision of the city as it should be. http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1439/hpo-writing-new-rules-for-establishing-historic-districts/#comment-14635 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:50:53 EDT http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1439/hpo-writing-new-rules-for-establishing-historic-districts/#comment-14622 It would seem that the new language would be a step in the right direction to alleviating fears that are similar to the ones I expressed in my previous comment. http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1439/hpo-writing-new-rules-for-establishing-historic-districts/#comment-14622 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:22:21 EDT http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1439/hpo-writing-new-rules-for-establishing-historic-districts/#comment-14620 Just make the whole District historic. Get it over with. Then the HPRB can deny any new development. Aren't rules that allow the HPRB the authority to designate an historic district similar to having a bunch of highwaymen deciding where to put the highways? I'm not an anti-preservationist by any stretch. I just wonder if the criteria for historic preservation is being diluted a bit. Preservation is good, but we have to always ask ourselves what its goal is and whether or not creating a new historic district is serving those goals. Otherwise, it's designating just to designate and stagnating rather than preserving. We need density and vitality in the District, as well as in the suburbs. Does designating every little corner of the District contribute to that goal? Maybe I'm just one of those people who have turned off to historical district designation by people who were trying to use it for another agenda... http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1439/hpo-writing-new-rules-for-establishing-historic-districts/#comment-14620 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:16:12 EDT http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1439/hpo-writing-new-rules-for-establishing-historic-districts/#comment-14617 HPRB has never designated a historic district where a majority of property owners objected. It's a convenient anti-preservationist myth that HPRB has done otherwise. If you scream loud enough... http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1439/hpo-writing-new-rules-for-establishing-historic-districts/#comment-14617 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:16:36 EDT