In his blog post today, columnist Marc Fisher made a side comment about "neighborhood historic preservation radicals" trying to save an outdated firehouse in his neighborhood -- which happens to be Upper Wisconsin Avenue.
This isn't the first time he's raised the subject.
Back in May, Fisher wrote: "Washington is also home to a radical fringe of preservationists who seem to believe that any old building--and even some not-at-all-old buildings--are worth a battle. And that attitude has liberated neighborhood groups that oppose the residential density and retailing necessary to expand the city's tax base to wave the flag of historic preservation as their primary obstructionist tool.
....Anti-development forces in upper Northwest are gearing up to argue for declaring a Metro bus barn across from Mazza Gallerie to be...historic. Metro has been trying for years to sell off that land for an extensive retail and residential development of the kind that is essential to the growth of the under-retailed and underdeveloped Wisconsin Avenue corridor, but the threat of historic designation has scared off some developers."
It's a shame that such a worthy cause -- historic preservation -- is being perverted to stop development that could benefit the Wisconsin Avenue community. And it's a bit disconcerting that the historic preservation argument could compromise adequate fire and rescue services in the neighborhood.
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I know that the Cleveland Park Historic District and the corresponding CPHS were direct results of neighbors fighting to save the "Stop n Shop" strip mall between Ordway and Porter Street. However, the saving os the strip mall also had the intended effect of staving off "Van Ness" style development in Cleveland Park.
There are specific criteria as to "what is historic" such as age and other determining factors. However, just because something is old, does not mean it needs to be saved, particularly if its intended use has been obviated, such as with the case of the WMATA garage, where enhanced technologies and budget constrictions make it desirable to, in this case, build a better facility and improve the orientation of the neighborhood.
The "joke" appears when residential groups hire "experts" as in the case with the Cleveland Park Giant, in an attempt to hijack, or blackmail the proposals.
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