Time for the Historic Districts to Unite

As discussed at a recent HPLA meeting, it is high time for all the Historic Districts of Petersburg to unite as one. This unification is long overdue, for obvious reasons.

Each historic district shares the same concerns. They include, but are certainly not limited to:

The preservation of and proper restoration of historic buildings;
The eradication of group homes, drug houses, halfway houses, and any and all establishments that denigrate or detract from historic neighborhoods;
The proper attention to maintenance of streets, control of traffic flow and pedestrian safety;
Accountability, and attention to aesthetics by city crews, utility companies etc. toward any and all public work done within historic districts;
Proper maintenance, rule enforcement, and patrols of all city parks within historic districts;
Rerouting of traffic which currently destroys delicate buildings; the most obvious example of this benign neglect is the use of Old Street as a primary artery for 18-wheel trucks and worse!


The list goes on and on. Each neighborhood association can ask for these things separately and be ignored, or they can join forces as one and demand action through a show of strength.

The fact is, most people within the historic districts are here for that very reason. Some of us are here for no other reason. We are not here for the quality of life, the great schools or the proximity to the beach, or access to the freeway. We are here for the history of the place, the homes in which we have sunk tons of money and for which we now pay increased taxes. A pleasant side benefit has been the many wonderful neighbors we have met all of whom share many of the same interests. These friendships cross neighborhood lines and add strength to the argument for one overriding association. All of us are appalled at the degree to which the state, city officials, absentee landlords, and even many residents have allowed Petersburg to decay and deteriorate to sub-third-world standards in the last thirty years. It is intolerable. A forceful, unified group of taxpayers living within historic districts should now execute the power it deserves to hold.

Keep posted as this new and powerful organization takes root.
—jeff a