[MassHistPres] Economic development rezoning ignoring historic preservation

[Lee Wright]

The Marlborough city council and the mayor have created a powerful, well-financed economic development corporation.  They have just completed a "study" of the downtown area without any input on historic preservation from the historical commission or any apparent consideration of historic preservation, at least in the materials that I've seen.  They are now proposing a downtown "zoning district."  

We moved here from out of the region in 2005, so my firsthand experience in my community is decades shorter than that of many of you, but it appears that historic preservation has never been a high priority here.  

Granted, there isn't a lot left to preserve--full disclosure: I'm on our historical commission--but in advance of my meeting on the 30th with the executive director of the economic development corporation, was hoping to hear how other communities have dealt with the such a force.  There should be no reason, other than ignorance, apathy, or contempt for preservation, that a community can't have both a thriving economy and great success with historic preservation.

-- Lee Wright  |  Marlborough, MA