College Hill Crime Watch

What are your thoughts about Palmetto Beach being recognized as a historic neighborhood by the national registry and possibly by the local registry as well?

National registry is great, in that the participation of owners is voluntary and incentives based.  I have concerns about a local district that would require deign guidelines and public hearings in order to make improvements to our homes.  Design guidelines for new structures or major renovations might be an alternative, which can be done without designating an historic district.  I think we really need to develop a community plan first (and now) that identifies how we would like to see our neighborhood evolve over the next 20 years, and then determine if historic perservation is a resulting objective of that plan.   

I am in the process of building a new home in Palmetto Beach which does not conform to the traditional style that currently exists there.  It is a little more modern than what is there now, and it meets the new codes for flooding.  This means that it has to be at a minimum of 11 feet above sea level.  This code will govern all future construction in the area which will in turn change the style of Palmetto Beach on its own.  To gain a historical status that allows for voluntary participation is great, but to mandate that any future improvements or construction be held to a certain standard will prevent the growth that we all want to see in the area.