Amidst claims of verbal abuse, threatened lawsuits, and hate emails, Landmarks Preservation Commission members vowed to press on with their efforts to landmark and preserve historic spots throughout the Town of Palm Beach.
Commissioners were licking their wounds after last week’s Town Council decision to put a stop to the landmarking study of the ‘Sea’ streets in the midtown section of the island.
That was a victory for some of the more vocal ‘Sea’ street homeowners who want to be able to renovate or even tear down their potentially historic homes. But Commission members remain committed to the concept of preservation, citing cities like Venice and Florence, which they say would not be the beautiful places they are, were it not for historic preservation.
Several Commissioners called for more public education on the value of a landmark designation. To that end, they are encouraging residents to attend the Historic District Educational Symposium, set for Dec. 4th, from 3 to 6 pm, at the Flagler Museum. State and national experts will be on hand to discuss best practices for landmarking, and historic preservation.
