I support Marietta City Council's efforts to estab...

2007-04-12T10:35:00.000-04:00

I support Marietta City Council's efforts to establish a historic preservation ordinance.

I own properties in Marietta and the last thing I want is someone telling me what I can or cannot do with them. I think everyone has a similar attitude about the potential intrusiveness of an appointed panel of people. I also think of myself as a responsible and conscientious property owner, so I bristle thinking someone might tell me I cannot do what I would hopefully consider a responsible thing. I dread the thought of another committee to have to please with my long over due property improvement plans.

That said, I believe that Marietta has a history and viable city center well worth protecting. Whether deliberately or unintentionally, some one person (or group of people) could change the face of our community to something we might regret. I don’t want my property value negatively affected by irresponsible actions of a neighbor, but I also don’t want that same neighbor forced to do an unnecessary and costly project. There is a genuine level of concern that should not be ignored, but at it's heart this is something that has the potential to very good for Marietta.

The ordinance as proposed leaves much unsaid, but that allows the flexibility necessary to make changes as needed or discovered. The unstated objectives are clearly a concern for many. I’m not really sure that I am comfortable with the unknown aspects of this ordinance. But that doesn’t scare me nearly as much as just sitting on our hands and doing nothing to initiate some kind of protection for our mostly beautiful town.

Comments on ReStore Marietta: Historic Preservation Ordinance

I support Marietta City Council's efforts to estab...