What’s “historic”? The debate over what does and does not count as “historic” pervades most preservation controversies. The national criteria for deeming something historic are very broad. That’s helpful for preserving the truly historic, but people opposed to the destruction of nearly any structure can make an argument that it’s historic. Arlington’s preservation board recently rejected a mixed-use proposal to replace an aging strip mall because they didn’t like the size. And in response to recent controversies over property being landmarked against owners’ wishes, Montgomery County Councilmember Mike Knapp proposed tightening that county’s preservation laws. How do we properly draw the line between preservation and anti-change-ism?

In the Buckingham neighborhood of Arlington, at the corner of North Pershing Drive and North Glebe Road are a series of one-story commercial buildings. They are set fairly far back from the street with a row or two of parking in front. Georgetown Strategic Capital, which is also building the Utopia project at 14th and U in DC, wants to replace these buildings with two four-story mixed-use buildings. But a few weeks ago, Arlington’s Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board rejected the proposal, calling the buildings “too big.”

The area today. Image from Google Street View.

December 2007 sketch of proposed development.

Most of the buildings in the Buckingham neighborhood are low in height. Is that lowness historic? Is having buildings set back far from the street historic? Is a lack of walkability historic? Is empty space historic? Some have called all of these characteristics “historic” at various times. Typically, that coincides with opposition to an alternative, like calling Brookland’s empty lots “historic” to oppose a plan that could fill them with housing and retail.

DC Historic Preservation Review Board Chair Tersh Boasberg frequently points out that historic preservation doesn’t trump zoning. If zoning allows a building of a certain height, Their actions often match those words, but not always. On the Hilton hotel, HPRB refused to to shrink the height of the proposed addition for this reason. But on the Utopia project, they did “sculpt” away an entire floor. (The Hilton was not in a historic district, while the Utopia project was, making the two not entirely comparable.)

If preservation doesn’t trump zoning, it doesn’t trump zoning. Arlington’s HALRB shouldn’t have the power to declare a building too tall. That’s the role of Arlington’s zoning code. If they want to require a facade of brick, or stone, glass or metal, or more windows, or fewer, those are valid compatibility questions. The overall height is not.

In recent years, preservation boards have often edged over the line from preserving the historic to preserving what the board members personally want. In DC, landmarking of structures such as Third Church, against the owners’ wishes, have triggered proposed legislation to limit landmarking. According to Wednesday’s Gazette, Montgomery County president Mike Knapp introduced legislation to raise the bar on what’s “historic” when property owners oppose landmarking.

In those cases, Knapp’s legislation would require a property to meet three landmarking criteria rather than just one. Montgomery’s criteria, like DC’s, mirror national ones. A property can be historic if it was “associated with” historic events or people, “embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction,” represent the “work for a master,” possess “high artistic values,” and more. Many of these criteria are extremely vague. Almost anything “embodies” some “characteristics”. The current language of preservation speaks very expansively about historicity. That provides too many opportunities for antis to hijack the process to preserve not just what’s worth preserving, but to oppose any alternative.

Some oppose preservation entirely. I do not. There are many very historically significant buildings in our region. Our historic districts also derive enormous value from the integrity of their buildings from a unified period. However, preservation’s realm is the aesthetic appearance of the built environment, such as its materials and structure. The form of buildings, such as their size and setback, is properly the domain of zoning.

DC’s historic districts have also brought valuable design review to many projects. Many recent development projects in DC have gotten better after passing before the discerning lens of HPO and HPRB. They’ve forced many blank walls, for example, to become better articulated facades. In fact, other old neighborhoods like Bloomingdale, and even mostly new neighborhoods like Near Southeast, would benefit from some similar design review. However, we should limit that review to the aesthetic and artistic decisions the architects make. But quite simply, if the zoning allows a four story building, and the property owner wants a four story building, then four stories there shall be.