AgdaPkt 2018-07-23 Joint SA PFA - Laserfiche WebLink

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CLK-Maria Vazquez From: Silvana Wenkenbach Sent: Monday, July 23, 2018 12:24 PM To: CD -Steven Turner Subject: Against Making Mt Carmel a Historic District Dear Mr. Turner, As a longtime Mt Carmel resident (28 years) I am strongly opposed to making Mt Carmel a historic district. I do not believe that it is warranted since the neighborhood is very monogamous with surrounding neighborhoods. I'm all for preserving history, antiquities, etc. but I don't think that truly applies in this situation. Unfortunately, because the neighborhood is so monogamous. One of my concerns is that there will be a long-term downward trend in property maintenance due to excessive process and costs. 1 have already witnessed that trend over the last 28 years and would be sorry to see it deepened. Because the areas so monogamous, I believe that making Mt Carmel a historic district places and unfair burden on property owners in the Mt Carmel area compared to surrounding neighborhoods. It is very possible that property values will drop. In neighborhoods where property values go up, due to being in a historic district, the properties are typically much more original, consistently historical, and of greater historical value. The Mt Carmel area no longer reflects its historical roots. In other words, it is been modified so much already even if declared historic neighborhood it certainly does not have the appeal that other prized historic districts offer. If the market were to change, and the buyer was considering several houses they would likely select one that is outside of the historic district. I believe that most homebuyers are going to prefer a home where they have a wider range of choices, and ease of application, for their future home improvements. It has been noted that there is a cost associated with this. There are costs for the process of proving proposed property improvements, monitoring those improvements, and enforcing the rules and regulations around a historic district. These costs are would be an additional pull on an already unbalanced budget. Given the perceived lack of benefit, I would prefer that we not undertake activities which will have a further negative impact on city funding. I am in agreement, that some of the houses that are currently being built are oversized for the lots and not attractively designed. I would much prefer to see this managed by modifying city codes in the creation and enforcement of architectural guidelines. Doing so would help preserve the beauty of all of our neighborhoods -- not only Mt Carmel. Thank you for your consideration. Kind regards,