[MassHistPres] NCD Pro & Con?

[Dennis De Witt]

The idea of a Neighborhood Conservation District in a late 19th C area to be administered by the 40c Local District Commission has been proposed in Brookline.

Other than Cambridge, I'm not sure who else on this listserve has NCDs -- or both NCDs and LHDs.  

Various questions come to mind.

Does anyone have such an arrangement where the LHD commission also acts as an NCD board -- thus having to manage, and not blur together, two sets of rules and design guidelines?

By definition, the 40c rules for appointments would have to trump any preference for a NCD members.  With 5 LHDs to be represented there might not be an NCD members.  Does anyone have any experience which speaks to that issue?

Can NCDs prevent demolition as absolutely as LHDs?

Are NCDs normally established under general Home Rule powers, not requiring recourse to the state legislature and not requiring a 2/3 vote?

Any other comments pro or con would be welcomed, especially from any places that have both NCDs and LHDs?

Dennis De Witt