Like many homeowners within our historic neighborhood, I am unable to make necessary repairs and improvements to my property. Affixing porches and siding, building extensions or garages, poses a significant challenge, not due to lack of will or financial resources, but due to prohibitively costly requirements associated with original, historic materials. These are often difficult to find and extremely expensive, causing unjust economic burden and preventing us from improving our living conditions.

Our neighborhood, while valued for its heritage and aesthetic appeal, is increasingly being throttled by these restrictive regulations. It's important for preservation, but it must be balanced with the homeowners' rights to upgrade their properties for safety, comfort, and quality of life reasons.

Historic preservation should be a process flexible enough to permit modifications when they respect the prevailing architectural character, without insisting on the use of original materials. In the U.S., upwards of 15,000 neighborhoods are constrained by such stringent historic preservation codes, leading to a critical appraisal of these guidelines ("Historic Preservation and Affordability in America's Urban Neighborhoods," Adler, 2019).

It's time our neighborhood is granted permission to undertake financially viable renovations without compromising its historic charm. That is why we are appealing to the local Historic Board to modify the existing mandates and allow homeowners to use aesthetically similar, yet economically more viable alternative materials.

The joy of living in a historic neighborhood should not come at the expense of safety, quality of life, and financial feasibility. Let's stand together and urge the Historic Board to reconsider its stand. Please sign our petition today.