06/02/2003 MINUTES - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Planning and Zoning Meeting June 3, 2003 Page 9 visualize what the whole downtown area could look like with that kind of effort. The historic commission has come a long way in such a short period of ,time. Bill Payne, 436 S. Church, owns property further down Church Street and 2 properties on Sherman. Mr. Payne is a member of the Moore Law Firm, Main Street, and Paris Living Community Development Corporation. A tremendous amount of work has gone into vision and working and writing historic ordinances both for the Main Street Project and through various individuals. Paris is a pretty city but is behind as far as historic preservation is concerned. Mr. Payne asked that everyone in support of the ordinance to please stand up. The Community Development Corporation's objective is to provide affordable housing in the downtown core area. Part of that objective is to work with structures that are historically compatible with those districts. Paris Living has also selected that same core area and Main Street has been working on that as well. The Main Street project hopefully will culminate within a year or so when construction begins on improvement to the Plaza areas as far as street improvements, streetscape, etc. are concerned. All will enhance the historic district. Opposition Gene Rader, 2565 Clark Lane, not in opposition to the historic society. Mr. Rader does not think that the merchants downtown have destroyed it that much. Mr. Rader is in opposition to a group telling the downtown businesses what to do but he will work with anyone —no one preserves downtown history no more that he does. Mr. Cotton McDowell who is deceased saved downtown. When laws state that you cannot flush a commode without permission from the historic society or cannot paint a door a color —that is not right. Mr. Rader is certainly in opposition to making a law and stated that nobody loves historical stuff more than he does.