HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmail To Brian Minyard From Roger Williams 07/08/2009Page 1 of 1
Minyard, Brian
From: Roger Williams [Williams@quapaw.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 2:36 PM
To: Minyard, Brian
Subject: Letter to the LRHDC for its July 13, 2009 Meeting
Dear Members of the Little Rock Historic District Commission:
I write this to urge you to uphold the design guidelines for the Little Rock Historic District (MacArthur Park). These
guidelines have been successful in guiding redevelopment and rehabilitation within the district for many years.
They were not developed arbitrarily nor in a vacuum, but were crafted through a formal process which allowed
public input and comment. They have been widely distributed to property owners in the district and are readily
available on the city's website.
It is unlikely that any individuals who wish to build new infill structures in the district are unaware of the
guidelines. Local architects are also well aware. Therefore, any proposals that seriously deviate from the
guidelines can only be viewed as a deliberate attempt to thwart the mission and goals of the Historic District
Commission and the Design Guidelines. There are certainly plenty of vacant lots outside of the district that are
available for projects that radically deviate from the guidelines.
If you as a Commission feel that the guidelines are appropriate and fair, then you should uphold them in your
consideration of applications that may come before you. If you feel that the guidelines are outdated or no longer
relevant, then there should be a formal process to revise and update them. Granting variances and "bending the
rules" sets a dangerous precedent and amounts to the kind of "spot zoning" that the Little Rock Historic District
Commission and the Capitol Zoning District Commission were originally set up to prevent.
In summary, I ask that you not grant a certificate of appropriateness to any project that does not conform to the
present historic district design guidelines.
Respectfully,
Roger D. Williams
Executive Director
Quapaw Quarter Association
615 E. Capitol Ave.
Little Rock, AR 72202
P. O. Box 165023
Little Rock, AR 72216
501.371.0075.x222
rilliams@quapaw.com
7/9/2009