Oh, the stories we'll tell.

The last time I heard 1st District Councilman Dan Coffey go down an anti-preservation path in person, he told a council meeting crowd the story of a woman who'd spent tens of thousands of dollars to put new plastic siding on her house only to have the Historic Preservation Commission swoop in after the fact, forcing her to remove it. According to Coffey, the woman eventually lost her home due to the expense. It was and is complete fiction. Coffey's bad acting aside, it never happened.

Of course, the last time I actually went to a Historic Preservation Commission meeting, it was because of an article in the Courier-Journal in which a local preservation leader with close ties to the Commission, seeking to move an auxiliary structure and place it as a primary one on an undeveloped lot on my street (which itself would have violated numerous preservation guidelines), suggested how the relocated structure could be for the neighborhood's use.

Like much of Coffey's grandstanding, such a claim is familiar strategy to drum up support and, again like Coffey, it wasn't really accurate. Asked about it previously, the neighborhood association representing the area had already voted on the matter, very clearly expressing that it didn't want the structure and the advocate in question was well aware of it. Other relocation proponents and some members of the HPC, however, perhaps owing to the C-J article or other similar communication, seemed surprised to learn of the neighborhood's wishes. Quite frankly, they shouldn't have been. Luckily, a majority of HPC members followed the guidelines and the move was denied.

So, here's to hoping for a little more truth in advertising, regardless of the outcome of this particular skirmish.

Coffey critical of New Albany Historic Preservation Commission, by Daniel Suddeath (Tribune).

Bully or protector of New Albany’s historic property?

The question surfaced recently during a City Council budget hearing over the role of the New Albany Historic Preservation Commission.

Councilman Dan Coffey shared his rift with fellow city officials, lobbying for an overhaul of the board that meets monthly to conduct business such as reviewing Certificates of Appropriateness for building improvements within its jurisdiction.

Coffey said the commission “pushes people too hard” when it comes to historic district guidelines. That has led to tax dollars being spent on court battles, he continued..”