Opinion: Protecting Marion’s historic village is top priority

To the editor:

After 53 years in Marion, this is my first letter about an issue of concern for us all. Although the village looks much as it did when I arrived, some people, including myself, feel that a plan to protect its beauty is needed. We also need a proposal that offers guidelines to future construction so that neighboring property owners do not have to get directly involved in often heated debates about the architectural merits and scale of a new house. The current proposal of the Historic District Study Committee, as presented at the Feb. 18 meeting, is a fair one to achieve these goals.

Legitimate concerns were shared at the meeting. Knowing most of these friends and neighbors very well, some are involved in real estate investment and construction and have developed properties within the proposed district. However, there is a greater issue than that of a new oversight committee and property rights.

Given the desirability of living and owning in Marion village, there is increasing pressure to demolish smaller, historically valuable houses on large lots, purchase vacant lots and to maximize the profit potential of any new construction without consideration of the effect that the structure may have on the immediate neighborhood.

This situation is ongoing in Marion. As long as involved parties stay within existing laws and zoning regulations, there is nothing we can do to prevent the approved construction of a new or enlarged building. We also cannot stop the demolition of a house, no matter how important it may be architecturally or historically, if the owner wants to remove it.

For the greater good of all of us who love our surroundings and cherish our individual freedoms, I think that the proposal for the establishment of an historic district with a limited area and clearly defined powers will go a long way toward protecting the beauty of the village we call home and that we all enjoy.

Sincerely,

Bryan J. McSweeny, Member

Marion Historical Commission