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<br />Planning and Zoning Meeting <br />August 3, 2004 <br />Page 6 <br /> <br />historic designations and to get their questions answered. uring the <br />meeting Ms. Ridder heard some of the residents say "this i fringes on <br />our personal rights", or we have already spent a lot of time nd money <br />preserving our homes so why do we need to be told now hat to do. <br />Paris Living owns property on both SW 1st Street and Churc Street as <br />well as in some of the areas that are on streets that will ev ntually be <br />covered by the overlay of this historic district. Ms. Ridde feels that <br />historical preservation is a good tool for economic de elopment, <br />providing outside dollars in the form of tourism, for exampl . Historic <br />preservation is much more than that, it is much more than th se dollars <br />that we will gain, it is about being good stewards of hat past <br />generations have left for us. It is about providing a way, means to <br />preserving that history for future generations. On beha f of Paris <br />Living's Board and those future generations, Ms. Ridder urged the <br />Commission to pass the historic designation. <br /> <br />A.W. Clem spoke in favor of the petition stating that severa years ago <br />they were considering what to do with their law firm. One de ision that <br />was made was to buy the old Texas Hotel from Margie Bell nd spend <br />a pot full of money on restoring it. Mr. Clem stated that hey could <br />have gutted the building, made it contemporary, put a false ront on it <br />but they really had faith in this community. Mr. Clem rem mbers the <br />homes on Clarksville and Church Street, how beautiful they ere. Mr. <br />Clem and others bought several buildings downtown and in ested a lot <br />because they really believed the downtown area is going to b a "spiffy <br />place" if the Planning and Zoning Commission does what it i supposed <br />to do. <br /> <br />Pike Burkhart, 524 Church, spoke in favor of the petition sating that <br />he thinks Mr. Clem had many good points. Ms. Burkhart's ouse was <br />built in 1869 and he probably would not have bought the ho se had he <br />not felt like the City of Paris was headed in the right direction. <br />Organizations have grown out of the grassroots to help save a d change <br />