July 19, 2008 11:17 pm
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The Goshen Plan Commission has made a unanimous recommendation that a downtown facade ordinance should be adopted. We’re not sure this is the best approach at this time.
Enacting a law that requires the owner of private property to meet standards for a desired historic look may be too much regulation. What is needed is something more flexible.
The synopsis of those proposed regulations is:
• At least two stories for new or rebuilt buildings
• Zero lot line setbacks for front and side property lines
• New stores must have one street entrance and one side or rear entrance
• New, rebuilt or altered buildings must have facades of material compatible to the pre-1910 buildings in downtown
• New, rebuilt or altered buildings must have large front windows that take up 75 percent of the front
• New, rebuilt or altered buildings must have a symmetrical parapet above the roof line
• Parking lots fronting Main Street would be prohibited
• Site plans must be approved before any work is done
Those are some pretty tough restrictions that would place financial hardships on building owners. And in these tough times the financial health of the building owners must be a priority for city planners.
The best approach would be to offer downtown building owners advice and help, including financial, in properly maintaining and/or remodeling their building facades.
The effort to preserve the historic heritage of Goshen’s downtown might best be served for now by an educational effort. Or, the majority of building owners might want more.
What is needed, is a a show of hands by the downtown building owners. Before the City Council takes a vote on this measure council members should take time and ask, what do the building owners want?
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