By Tom Henderson • Staff Writer • 

Pressboard on historic home doesn't appeal to planners

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Comments

Mudstump

I'm no expert, but it is my understanding that owning a historic home often provides local, state and federal tax abatements in exchange for maintaining a property that has civic value.

It's expensive to remodel historic homes because the rules state that all materials should be as close to period as possible. Owners receive tax breaks to compensate and to encourage the preservation of these properties. To ask for an exemption wouldn't be fair to those owners who have paid a lot of money to have custom windows make, moldings, and other materials. Historic homes are not "off the shelf" projects. Often they require custom work by true artisans and that costs money. It seems to me this owner wants the tax break without the rules that go with that perk.

Tuvey

Well stated Mudstump. We have a farm and are allowed a tax break for that farm. If we stop farming we owe 5 or 6 years back taxes to stop. Maybe that could be the situation here if they take it off the Historical Landmarks they can pay back taxes OR fix it in the way it is meant to be fixed. Whether or not you can tell the difference really isn't the point.

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