Sometimes I read something and am so struck by its “rightness,” that I just have to share it with everyone I know. That happened today when I read a column in the March 1, 2007 edition of The Southampton Press by Anne Surchin, a Sag Hampton-based architect and writer. Ms. Surchin used the Press’ s architecture column to discourse on the importance of historic preservation. She first compared and contrasted the difference in approach taken by the Towns of Southold (effective) and Southampton (virtually non-existent outside of Sag Harbor). She then speculated on the reasons for this disparity, concluding with the following paragraphs that I really wish I had written.
“How much more improved does this economy need to be?
“It is simply a mono-economy no longer based on tourism but rather on second homes.
“Ironically, preservation is good for a diversified business economy, for investment, for attracting visitors, for establishing unique places to live and work, for increasing property values, for federal tax benefits and for saving valuable resources.
“It’s all about the value of our identity, stupid!”
Amen.
Thanks to Mike Anthony, Chairman of the Southampton Town Democratic Committee for bringing this article to my attention.
Note: There’s no link to the full article here, because you have to be a paid subscriber to read the Press online.
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Currently listening to: Not California
