Here is how “historic preservation” works…
- The Federal government writes a law that defines requirements to qualify for “historic preservation” designation and potential grant money.
- The State enacts a law requiring the creation and maintenance of a “master site file” of “historic resources” at the State level based upon voluntary submissions of forms describing any “resource” more than 50 years old (age being the sole criteria). This State law is enacted to comply with Federal law to be potentially eligible for Federal grants.
- Anyone can submit a property description for the “master site file” anonymously or not, and in any event the source of the information is not validated nor is the property information audited for accuracy.
- The State notes that the “master site file” “is an active inventory of Florida’s historical cultural resources that are over 50 years old, without regard to historical significance” (my emphasis) (see FAQ #2).In other words, the meaning of the word “historic” is officially made irrelevant.
- There is no requirement to inform owners their property is on the list, owners cannot have their property removed from the list.
- Next, city staff creates a list of Winter Park Historic Resources that includes properties the city has paid a consultant to submit to the State “master site file.” Note that the “historic consultant” has a vested professional and financial interest in proposing properties as “historic resources.”
- City staff adds properties it considers to be “historic resources” with the “help” of local historic preservation activists having a personal vested interest in “saving” homes designed by their ancestors. Also, note that the city staff member responsible for historic designation was for several years a member of the board of directors of the local historic preservation organization led by the same historic preservation activists.
- The city commission then approves a law falsely claiming that the Florida Master File provides the “State of Florida’s official inventory of historical and cultural resources” while requiring a 90 day waiting period before issuing demolition permits for such properties . Recall that the State officially declares significance to be irrelevant to listing in the “master site file.” A “master site list” becomes a list of “historic resources” which the historic preservation activists then promote as properties representing historic significance without informing or seeking agreement from owners of the listed properties.
- With the local list of “historic resources” including the falsely noted “State of Florida’s official inventory of historical and cultural resources” in hand, preservation activists aggressively petition the city government to “protect” these “historic resources.”
So, what truly establishes real historic significance in Winter Park? I see three measures:
- When people get together to purchase an older property with private money and then restore it and open it to the public as an historic exhibit we know for certain that property bears legitimate historic qualities. (e.g., Casa Feliz and Capen House.)
- When elected government officials vote a public building historic for the purpose of preserving it we know for certain that property bears legitimate historic qualities and we also know it will be maintained with our tax money (e.g., Farmer’s Market Freight Depot and Winter Park Golf Course Club House).
- When individual private property owners voluntarily request historic designation knowingly subjecting redevelopment of their property to control of a city board, we know for certain that property owner and members of our community approving the request are convinced a property has legitimate historic significance. Such designation should preferably be with independent review and recommendation by the National Register of Historic Places to vouch authenticity and significance (e.g., Gary-Morgan House).
That’s it. All other cases require some authority to declare your property “historic” against your will.
The only constructive policy providing historic preservation of true significance is one based on encouraging property owners to voluntarily apply to list their property on the Winter Park Registry of Historic Places. Let them seek and justify truly historic qualities and significance worthy of Winter Park, and let’s encourage them to do so without granting variances not available to all.