Sunday, February 28, 2010
Christiansburg considers historic preservation
Christian Trejbal
Recent columns
- Montgomery schools' $6.2 million deficit
- This column does not compute
- Make political parties pay for their primaries
- Tough times ahead for schools
From the RoundTable blog
Blacksburg is not the only New River Valley town wondering what to do with its historic districts. Christiansburg has three of its own, and it has even less idea what to do with them.
All three districts received historic designation in 1991. The first centers on the old Cambria train depot. The second runs up East Main Street almost to School Lane and a bit down Park Street. The third covers part of South Franklin Street north of Sunset Cemetery. A few individual structures around town fill out the entries on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.
For 20 years, they have simply existed. Town council has taken few steps to protect and preserve historic properties. One may tear down a historic home or renovate it into something completely out of character with its surroundings.
Most recently, council engaged in another of its interminable discussions that never lead to action.
In 2008, the town contacted Diane Zahm, a professor of urban affairs and planning at Virginia Tech. She and her students studied what Christiansburg could do to preserve historic neighborhoods and properties. They presented their findings in 2009 and followed up with a survey of historic property owners.
About two-thirds of respondents said protecting historic structures and neighborhoods is important. Differences emerged in the specifics, though. For example, 80 percent favored limits on demolition of historic structures, but only 25 percent favored regulating colors.
Unfortunately, a low-response rate rendered that survey largely useless for public planning purposes.
So the town circulated its own survey to historic property owners this year. It also is available online (tinyurl.com/ydfq29b) for everyone else to have a say. Historic districts enrich the entire community.
The survey is due Monday, but that leaves enough time for more people to print it out and drop it off at town hall. Unfortunately, it cannot be completed online.
The town will also hold a public meeting to discuss options on April 5.
Once the results are in, town council could decide to do nothing or take only baby steps like installing signs to bring attention to the districts. Stronger steps could include creating an architectural or historic review board and empowering it with town codes that limit what owners may do to historic properties.
Perhaps a middle ground of voluntary compliance could work. Before taking that route, though, council should check with Blacksburg. That town is finding that property owners intent on maximizing their profits and minimizing their costs no matter what it does to the rest of the neighborhood have little patience for historic preservation.
No one likes to be told what he can do with his own land and house, but sometimes for the betterment of the whole community, we acquiesce to restrictions.
It is not just burdensome regulation, either. Historic properties are eligible for federal and state historic preservation tax credits.
I hope the town is not just fishing for another excuse avoid acting. Council in the past has shown scant interest in letting anything stand in the way of development, and the survey warns of potential regulations and taxes that would burden residents.
It also displays an odd nativism by asking respondents whether they are town natives and how long each person in a home has lived in Christiansburg.
Randy Wingfield, the town's planning director who wrote the survey, explained, "I felt you might get an idea of how much somebody might know about the history of Christiansburg."
That is potentially useful information, but it also is dangerous in the hands of those who subscribe to the common conceit that long-time residents' views are more valid and valuable than newcomers'.
A fundamental principle of our government is that all people deserve equal say. True, newcomers to town might have a different perspective, but it is no less valid. The tension between those who favor progress and change and those who prefer old ways and tradition informs and enriches our public discourse.
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In last week's column about the Huckleberry Trail, I suggested people park at the Blacksburg Library if they want to use the trail segment cleared of snow by the town.
Be careful when the library is open.
The main library lot is reserved for patrons. Trail users who park there when the library is open could get a ticket. Instead, park in the adjoining municipal lot that has 10 spots with two-hour parking limits reserved exclusively for trail users.
