Let people fix up downtown area

The city of McMinnville has an interesting group called the Historic Zoning Commission which tries ‘ with varying degrees of success ‘ to regulate what downtown property owners can and cannot do with their buildings.

As you might expect, the Historic Zoning Commission is not always embraced. That’s especially true when you try to tell people what they can do with their stuff.

But that’s also all part of being a government entity. When government acts, it’s common for 50 percent of the people to like the decision and 50 percent of the people to dislike it.

It’s much like writing a newspaper column.

But here’s one of the fundamental problems with the city’s Historic Zoning Commission. It seems to make life harder for the very people who are investing money into downtown McMinnville. And for those of you counting at home, there aren’t many of those people around.

In recent months, members of the Historic Zoning Commission have gone toe-to-toe with several downtown property owners looking to make their buildings more attractive. It’s made for some testy situations.

Junior Medley was one of the sparring partners when he was renovating what is now the district attorney’s office. Ken Roberts stepped in the ring when he wanted to replace the front door of one of his buildings on Morford Street.

The latest punching bag has been New York Grill owner Scott Garing, who has taken heat over a roof-top railing he is in the process of building above his business.

Why must these confrontations take place? The very nature of the Historic Zoning Commission ensures problems like these will always arise. There’s no way around it.

Its very name indicates the Historic Zoning Commission wants to keep things ‘historic,’ but that tends to disagree with just about any type of renovation work. And one of the fundamental problems with downtown is not enough renovation work is taking place.

The city came through and devoted $5.2 million to making Main Street and Court Square look like a thing of beauty. But beyond the street, the same aging buildings still remain.

A few property owners have realized this obvious problem and have made the decision to improve their buildings. This can be a major monetary commitment.

But to reward this investment in downtown, the Historic Zoning Commission only throws more obstacles at property owners. There is no doubt it can be an annoyance.

Thus there are whispers around city hall that the Historic Zoning Commission might not be the best thing for McMinnville. Why penalize the few folks who are actually trying to better the city?

The idea of disbanding the Historic Zoning Commission is one that has its merits. After all, property owners in the downtown area should not be held to different standards than the rest of the city. And I’m not convinced the downtown buildings need to look ‘historic.’ They just need to look better.

McMinnville’s Codes Department already has rules and regulations pertaining to property renovation. There’s no reason to add an extra layer of aggravation for the people who own property downtown. And if they want to improve that downtown property, they appear to be among a group in the vast minority.

The Historic Zoning Commission, while formed with the best intentions, has quickly worn out its welcome. There’s no reason to pester people who simply want to make downtown a better place.

James Clark is editor of the Standard. He can be reached at 473-2191 or by e-mail at [email protected].