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A Historic Occasion
On Tuesday July 3, 2007, the Downers Grove Historic Preservation Ordinance was adopted by a unanimous vote of the Village Council. Thanks to the efforts of the Coalition, PDHA and Downers Grove Watch, public support for historic preservation was brought to the attention of the Council with enough passion -- and persistence -- to get action. Special thanks are in order to Mike Davenport and the Architectural Design Review Board, to Jeff O'Brien, the village staffer supporting them and to Commissioner Martin Tully, who pushed the issue on the Council and supplied the initial draft ordinance. It remains to be seen how the ordinance will play out in practice. The Coalition will have a role to play in publicizing the ordinance and encouraging people to use it. As I mentioned to the Council during the public remarks period, apart from the action oriented provisions of the ordinance that allow local landmarking and creation of historic districts, it will be a great benefit to the community to have a historic preservation commission to serve as a focal point for historic preservation efforts and promote a culture of preservation and appreciation of our history. Future generations will thank us for this. But right now, let me express my thanks to all the supporters of this initiative for your continued involvement and efforts. -- Ken Lerner, DGCMR Chairperson For more information, see: Historic Preservation Ordinance |