Waterhouse to restore preservation review
Shawn Clubb
Of the Suburban Journals
Southwest City Journal
01/04/2006
New 24th Ward Alderman Bill Waterhouse promised to restore preservation review for the ward in his election campaign and now he plans to follow it up.
Waterhouse said he is currently working on legislation that would have the city's Preservation Review Board consider any proposal that would call for demolition of a historic structure. The ward's former alderman, Tom Bauer, removed much of the ward from preservation review.
"The importance of this is it is the only protection a building has. If you have a landlord or owner who wants to get rid of, for whatever reason, a piece of our history, someone has to speak up for this history and this is what the preservation review does," he said. "During the review, an intelligent decision will be made on what will and can be done with the property."
Patrick Schneider, a resident of Dogtown in the 24th ward, said he fought in the 1970s to keep buildings in the Gaslight Square area from being torn down. He said he is concerned by what developers can do if they have free reign over historic properties.
"Losing some of these architectural buildings, the cottages, the neighborhoods, the businesses, it loses its character when you lose these buildings in this area here," Schneider said.
Schneider said he was upset when Bauer took the ward out of preservation review. He said he will be glad to see it reinstated
Read More
Shawn Clubb
Of the Suburban Journals
Southwest City Journal
01/04/2006
New 24th Ward Alderman Bill Waterhouse promised to restore preservation review for the ward in his election campaign and now he plans to follow it up.
Waterhouse said he is currently working on legislation that would have the city's Preservation Review Board consider any proposal that would call for demolition of a historic structure. The ward's former alderman, Tom Bauer, removed much of the ward from preservation review.
"The importance of this is it is the only protection a building has. If you have a landlord or owner who wants to get rid of, for whatever reason, a piece of our history, someone has to speak up for this history and this is what the preservation review does," he said. "During the review, an intelligent decision will be made on what will and can be done with the property."
Patrick Schneider, a resident of Dogtown in the 24th ward, said he fought in the 1970s to keep buildings in the Gaslight Square area from being torn down. He said he is concerned by what developers can do if they have free reign over historic properties.
"Losing some of these architectural buildings, the cottages, the neighborhoods, the businesses, it loses its character when you lose these buildings in this area here," Schneider said.
Schneider said he was upset when Bauer took the ward out of preservation review. He said he will be glad to see it reinstated
Read More
