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Public, council weigh moratorium on historic‑district expansion amid housing concerns
Summary
Several residents and board members urged the Common Council Aug. 6 to pause expansion of historic districts, arguing additional review requirements raise construction costs and slow housing supply; some council members said they support limits on expansion or larger reform of preservation rules.
Speakers at the Aug. 6 Ithaca Common Council meeting urged a temporary moratorium on expanding historic districts, saying added review requirements increase development costs and reduce housing supply.
"Developing in a historic district requires lengthy ILPC approval and cost incremental tens of thousands of dollars per residential unit," said Andre Gardner, a member of the board of zoning appeals and a local landlord, who described conversations with developers estimating $100,000 to $1,000,000 in added hard costs depending on project scale.
Other speakers including David Barkin and Ariana Klinkoff recounted personal experiences of costly or lengthy reviews and inconsistent enforcement; Klinkoff said she was told she must replace interior windows with wood at high cost despite the windows not being visible from the street and despite substantial investment she had already made in rehabilitating a distressed property.
Several council members engaged the issue in debate. Alderperson Kiel said she had "spoken in favor of getting rid of historic districts, and replacing them with a system that's equitable across the city," and said she supported at least a moratorium on expansions while citywide zoning reform proceeds. Alderperson Brown and others said historic preservation is valuable but urged clearer, equitable standards that do not unduly hinder needed housing.
No moratorium ordinance or formal council vote occurred Aug. 6. Council members asked planning staff to share progress on South Side form‑based zoning and related neighborhood amendments and said they expect future agenda items on zoning reform and any proposed moratorium.
Speakers and some council members said the issue should be considered in the larger context of zoning reform so preservation policy and citywide housing objectives are aligned.
