Anti-Semitism or Architectural Preservation?

Interesting piece in todays NY Sun (registration req.). The City Planning Commission is considering creating a historic district out of the tony Riverdale, NY neighborhood of Fieldston. This would create a situation where residents of the neighborhood would have to apply to a Landmark reservation Commission in order to make any changes - no matter how minor - that affect the exteriors of their homes.

Because most of the houses were built in the 1920s, many in the area's growing Orthodox Jewish community who purchase there have undertaken additions of renovations in order to accomodate the needs of their growing families. The landmarking proposal has divided the Riverdale community, often pitting neighbor against neighbor.

...Rabbi Weiss is not willing to ascribe anti-Semitic motivations to those who are backing the proposed historic district. "But the result is the same," he said. "It will hurt the Orthodox community in a disproportionate way, regardless of the motivation. I can't look into the souls of those supporting this, but I know what the result will be".

Others have taken a harder line, suggesting that many of the landmarks and zoning decisions in Riverdale in recent years have consistently seemed to impact negatively on the areas Orthodox Jews.

I can see both sides of this. On the one hand, I can see why it is well within the right of every homeowner, Orthodox or not, to expand their houses as they see fit to meet the needs of their growing families. That being said, who hasn't been in a neighborhood where extensions and additions have been done in the least tasteful fashion, and certainly take away from the flavor and beauty of an area. I think a board that reviews every proposed exterior alteration is a perfectly fair idea - as long as the parameters are within reason. It seems that if Fieldston becomes a historic district, subject to approval by the notoriously difficult NYC Landmark Preservation Commission, it will become much more difficult and costly to make any changes to homes in the area at all. In addition, as the article points out, designating the area an historic district makes it illegal for visitors to park their cars on the street. Rabbi Weiss suggests something similar:

"I don't understand why the Fieldston Property Owners Association cannot self-regulate any proposed renovations to the homes here," Rabbi Weiss said. "It would seem that this is preferable to submitting these requests to the city."

I would have to agree. In the Five Towns area, many of the villages require that any exterior work first be approved by a Board of Building Design, which consists of a group of area residents who each have some architecture or design background and meet to discuss any submitted plans. As long as the plans submitted do not subvert a basic ideal of good taste and zoning restrictions, they are generally aproved, sometimes with suggestions from the board on how to bring the plan more into character with the style of the neighborhood. This seems to me to be a less restrictive plan than the one proposed in Riverdale, especially as the article points out that many feel that the original architect and developer of the Fieldston neighborhood is far from widely recognized as a great talent.

If it is approved, good luck to Fieldston's growing families.