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HPC candidate Roger warns about large additions and the "whitening of Aspen"
Summary
Roger, a longtime preservation practitioner, urged the Historic Preservation Commission to reconsider past allowances for large additions to historic properties and said the trend toward uniform white paint makes it harder to distinguish original structures from additions.
Roger, applying for the Historic Preservation Commission, told the council he has decades of experience restoring historic properties and has served on local preservation bodies. He urged the council to reconsider earlier policy choices that permitted large additions to historic homes, saying, "I think the square footage has been way too much allowed," and warned the result has made it harder to preserve historic character.
He described a design trend he called the "whitening of Aspen," noting many projects in recent years feature similar colors and materials that blur the distinction between original structures and later additions. Roger suggested that some earlier decisions — like allowing lifts and basements with added massing — may have been mistakes and that future review could reduce negative impacts on historic fabric. Council thanked him for his service and reiterated that appointments would be made later.
