A 'Less Antagonistic' Hinsdale Historic Process?
HINSDALE, IL – Village President Tom Cauley is calling for the village to take measures to help avoid controversies over historic houses such as the recent one on Eighth Street.
He acknowledged the local Historic Preservation Commission’s frustration that the village’s ordinance has no teeth in stopping demolitions.
“I agree with that to some extent,” he said. But “ultimately the homeowner has the right to do what the homeowner wants to do with the property.”
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He said he has conducted no survey, but he believes elderly people own many of the village’s historic houses. Those homes, he said, represent a lion’s share of their net worth.
These owners want to get top dollar for their homes. Cauley said. They’ll get more from a buyer who wants to tear down and build anew rather than one who would refurbish the house, he said.
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“I think there are competing interests here for historic preservation on the one hand and the right of the homeowner to maximize the value of his home,” Cauley said. “We have to strike a balance between those two concerns.”
He recommended the village require homeowners to go to the historic commission earlier in the process with their concepts, creating a “less antagonistic” process. The earlier review, he said, would be before owners have spent a lot of money on full architectural designs.
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Cauley also suggested that the Village Board review matters when the commission rejects a demolition request or a new home’s design.
“It would be one more level of moral suasion,” he said. “You get a little more public play when you come to the board.”
Ultimately, he said homeowners can do what they want to do if they meet village codes.
Cauley also said the village could require the owner of a historic home to prepare a historic study. The local historical society performs that service for $50, others said.
Trustee Luke Stifflear suggested requiring the study be done at the time of closing of a sale.
“We get in these situations where the property in the previous 12 months has already been sold, and someone’s already got their decision made of what they’re going to do,” he said.
Cauley said he would bring his suggested changes in the form of an ordinance to the Village Board next month.
A couple of years ago, the board added incentives for homeowners to preserve the historic nature of their houses. The village has already given subsidies to that effect.
In December, John Bohnen, chairman of the historic commission, refused a vote on the demolition of the historic house at 425 E. Eighth St.
Earlier this month, the panel did vote, rejecting the plans. Its recommendations are advisory only.
Commissioners minced few words about the proposed new post-modern home featuring a glass bridge.
“Certainly, the owners have no respect for the historical significance of the village,” Commissioner Frank Gonzales said. “They just want to do things their way and screw the rest of the neighborhood.”
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