Historic Preservation Commission special meeting

A Special Meeting of the Woodstock Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) and the Woodstock City Council will be held on Monday, June 20, for the purpose of reviewing and discussing the draft of the revised design guidelines for the Historic District. 

The HPC is a commission of interested and concerned residents of the City who devote their personal time to maintaining the integrity of the historic district and other parts of the City. Often a thankless job, in my opinion, because their decisions and positions, after being carefully reasoned, have been overridden by the City Council.

The HPC has been working on the revisions since February 2010 and completed them at its May meeting.

The joint meeting is scheduled for 7:00PM in City Council chambers and is open to the public. After any council requested changes or corrections the guidelines will be placed on a future city council agenda for approval.

Perhaps the Council would do well to remember that it establishes the guidelines and then it should be expected to adhere to them and stop granting variances after the fact or in the face of commercial opposition. The city is either going to have a historic district or it isn't. If it isn't going to, then it might be time to send the HPC down the same drain as the Liquor Commission. However, if that is considered, maybe the public will finally stand up and object.