letter to the editor

Don’t dump Wiscasset’s Historic Preservation Ordinance

Tue, 10/24/2017 - 11:00am

Dear Editor:

Wiscasset citizens should vote no on town warrant article #4 on Nov. 7 to protect their Historic Preservation Ordinance. Talk of throwing out this brand-new ordinance makes no sense. It would waste the volunteer time and taxpayer dollars that went into it and cost plenty to start over. There’s a good process for improving the existing ordinance. Let’s tune it up, not toss it out.

With MDOT planning big changes downtown, we can’t afford to leave the historic district unprotected. Preservation=tax revenue. Historic buildings are assets to the whole community. Many people come to live and run businesses in Wiscasset specifically because it’s an architectural treasure trove. Those people pay taxes. Those tax dollars help all Wiscasset residents, whether they live in the village or the town’s rural outskirts.

Old buildings and landmarks embody local stories, craftsmanship, and traditions. They make Wiscasset a more interesting, beautiful place to live and visit. In a real sense, the past is our economic future. Get to the polls and vote no on Wiscasset warrant article #4.

Anne Leslie

Wiscasset