Historic District Designation Angers Some Homeowners

Where should the landmarks commission draw the line when limiting homeowners' ability to make changes to their historic homes?

1 minute read

January 18, 2006, 7:00 AM PST

By David Gest

"Like many homeowners in this upscale neighborhood of flagstone paths and huge old trees, sheltering early-1900's Tudor, Colonial and Mediterranean houses, [one homeowner in the Fieldston neighborhood in the northwest Bronx] was adjusting to a new reality. On Tuesday, the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to make Fieldston a historic district, limiting the changes homeowners can make to their houses' exteriors in a 140-acre area comprising 257 houses."

"'Landmarks says this light is historic,' [he] said. 'What they're signaling is, "Hey, when you want to change this, we want to weigh in. You can't just change it."' He paused. 'That's the stuff that I personally find the most annoying, the little stuff. You don't get the benefit of owning a house.'"

FULL STORY: Amid the Flagstones, It's Neighbor vs. Neighbor

Sunday, January 15, 2006 in The New York Times

History / Preservation World

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