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Dear Editor,

We received the letter from the City of Llano regarding the meeting to be held on Thursday, August 12, 2010. Unfortunately, we will not be able to attend the meeting but thought we could supply our support of retaining the Historic District ordinance with this email.

We fell in love with Llano a long time ago due to the town’s originality and historic feel. We purchased a ranch so we could enjoy the area. We later purchased the building on 106 E. Main due to its historic wagon wheel windows, doors and stone structure; and we saw the potential of bringing these features back as they once were. While working on the building, we found so many interesting things that brought out the history of the town. We learned from other that the building was once a grocery, doctor’s office, and a business college resided upstairs in its earlier days.

What attracted us to Llano is the history that is still alive with the beautiful courthouse and surrounding area. Also, what town has a river running thru the middle of it and an old railroad coming into town? We believe that it is imperative to maintain this historic district to attract other to this great town.

Our building is presently going through another upgrade upstairs. The windows on the side of the building are all being repaired and we hope to make the upstairs as authentic as possible.

We both feel that Llano has the potential to be one of the greatest places to live and to visit as indicated by the Forbes recent article. Many people want to come to a place like Llano where they can appreciate architecture that has lasted so long and look so great as well as the old town feelings and friendliness of the residents.

Regards,

Gigi and Don Hall

Dear Editor,

I want to thank everyone who came to the meeting Thursday night to express their opinion regarding our proposed Historic Preservation Ordinance. I say proposed, because that is all that it is at this point and as there will be changes and modifications over the next several weeks.

Please take time to read and become familiar with this proposed ordinance and again thank you for coming. It was great to have community participation and dialog with our stakeholders.

Sarah Franklin

Main Street Director

Dear Editor,

I was unable to attend the meeting about the proposed Historic Preservation Ordinance but I am very concerned about this matter.

I do not live in the City but have lived in Llano County since I married and moved here in 1941, and I have always been dedicated to preserving the heritage and history of Llano County everywhere I could, including in the City of Llano. The City of Llano is our County Seat and the historic core of our County, and what happens in the City affects us all and we all have a vested interest whether we live in the City of not.

I cherish Llano’s history and as a former chairman of the Llano County Historical Commission I helped the commission with many preservation projects in the City as well as the County.

Since I have lived in Llano County we have already lost a lot of our historic past and once a historic structure is torn there is no getting it back, and once a historic building is significantly altered or defaced, it is nearly impossible to restore it to it’s original historic beauty, and there needs to be some sort of restrictions in place to keep this from happening.

None of us like rules and regulations but they are a fact of life. Restrictions in the County and City are just like locked gates out in the country. They are not there for the 99% of our neighbors and friends that we know and trust, they are there for the 1% of unknown elements that could come in and do harm and damage that could not be reversed, and it is a fact that can happen and has happened.

I commend the City and Committee for what they are doing and I support trying to preserve the history of the City of Llano and the entire County in this endeavor to protect our past. Our leaders are elected by a majority of the voters and hopefully they will do what is best for the City and County to help us preserve our history before it is too late and we have nothing left to preserve.

Thank You,

Hatty Sagebiel

Dear Editor,

Do you want to lose your property rights? If you own a home or business in the City of Llano’s Central Business District this is a real possibility. The Mayor and City Council are in early stages of implementing a new Historical Preservation Zoning Ordinance whereby they delegate to a group of unelected people (an unnamed board) who will have to approve/permit changes to the exterior of private property, if the property is in the proposed historical district. As it is currently proposed, over 100 owners will lose the right to choose how the exterior of their property looks. Their new improvements must meet the new, as yet undefined, requirements. The proposed district’s size is limited for now, but when passed, the district will certainly expand, perhaps into your neighborhood. Property owners that I know do not want to ‘junk up’ their property and cause its value to be reduced. What problem is the Mayor and City Council trying to accomplish? Is it an issue the might occur at some future date? Is the problem one that exists today?

If the problem of historical preservation exists today here are at least three things that the Mayor and City Council can do immediately; 1) enforce the ordinances that are already on the books, 2) meet directly with each property owner where there may be an issue and work together to find a mutually agreeable solution and 3) encourage or suggest the current property owner apply for a historical landmark designation. There should be no reason to eliminate a private owner’s property rights by and for the betterment of those that have no financial or ownership in the properties the City wants to control.

As with other Tea Party organizations around the county we need to, among other things, preserve and protect our liberties and rights. In this case, with what the Mayor and City Council are proposing, individual rights will be taken away. It would be hard to argue that anyone would be opposed to ensuring historical properties need to be preserved, but not at the cost of taking away the rights from private citizens. So then, what problem is the Mayor and City Council trying to solve?

Bill Hussey

Interim President, Llano Tea Party

Dear Editor,

Llano is at a crossroads for an exciting level of growth and development. Our little town has received national and state attention by listings in various magazines as a very desirable place to live. We all know that it is a great little city and we want to see it grow and prosper. The very fabric of our town is the historic district, which brings in tourism and invites people to shop here. People want to stop and check out the quaint little shops around the square and across the river. Imagine if the shops were torn down and replaced by a metal strip mall. Do you think that people would want to move here? The preservation zoning ordinance is vital to the maintenance of this historic fabric by setting guidelines for the appearance of buildings around the town center. Main Street has worked hard to encourage businesses to paint and improve their facades. The town center looks pretty much like it did in the 1800s. This is a huge asset to our town and draws tourists. Most towns around the hill country have a preservation ordinance in place. They think that the ordinance is an investment in their future and encourages business development. Businesses will want to locate here because they know that their neighbors cannot construct an unsightly building next door. The standards being discussed are reasonable and flexible. Wordage is being added to the ordinance to allow the grandfathering of existing buildings. No one will have to change their façade to conform to these standards. The proposed map goes from the County Annex (old hotel) to the Badu House. The preservation ordinance is also vital to our ability to get future historical restoration grants. We think that it is time that a preservation ordinance is enacted to further preserve our historic district.

Signed,

Sheri P. Zoch, Ph.D., Walter Zoch, Ned Woodall, Ph.D., Julia Woodall, Ovetra Hartman, Charles Hartman, Charles Slocumb, Sandra Slocum, Larry Payne, Ella Daye Flowers, Luke Rogers, Frank Rowell, Patty Felts, Roger Pinckney, Kathy Pinckney, Phyllis Farr Alexander, Myrna Mund, Bob Gammage, Linda Gammage, Cheryl Crabtree, Binky Morgan, Ron Anderson, Michael Heaston, Sharon Keilin, Dennis Masterson, Gene Hall

Dear Editor,

First, I would thank the elected city officials for the time and thoughtfulness extended in this effort. When elected the voting populace was well aware of their desire to promote economic growth and tourism, while embracing historic preservation as only one means of bringing this about.

Secondly, I would thank the planning committee and city staff for all their time and efforts. They have done an awesome job. This proposal is a well thought out plan to preserve what is left of our historic structures at minimal expense and maximum personal choice to the owner, while maintaining appearance of an attractive old town.

And I would explain that I descend from a long family line of Llanoans dating back to about 1854. My 2nd great-grandfather was an original petitioner for the formation of Llano County and was elected District Clerk in the very first election. He was a merchant and a rancher. Through the generations the family remained in ranching on the same land. (A small part of which I am fortunate to own today.) Daddy quit riding a horse and started riding bulldozers and other heavy equipment when I was a small child. My parents lived on the very same block in the city of Llano for 65 years until my mother’s passing just this spring and I have lived all my life in Llano. Born into poverty, raised in obscurity and educated in that school of hard knocks is a description that aptly fits me. I have very little money or formal education, but I feel very passionately about historical preservation and protecting the historical beauty of our land and town

It seems there may be a certain segment who hold old disappointments at a perceived loss of power and quickly attempt to defeat every proposal. Well, this is our right. We live in a Democracy. But it is the duty and right of everyone to make sure they really understand the proposal and what it could mean to the future of Llano. Don’t be driven by fear. Existing structures would be "grand fathered" in just as they are and will remain so. Only when the time comes that repairs or remodeling takes effect would the owner be required to follow guidelines outlined in the proposal and these do offer multiple choices. Remember, it is only the outside facade and/or exterior of a structure that becomes affected according to its rating

DEMOCRACY! FREEDOM! Two words often used interchangeably. But in reality the two are not synonymous! In actuality, Democracy is a political system of competition for power. A system that best promotes individual freedom and personal rights. In a Democracy, there is no such thing as complete personal liberty, freedom and rights. Only absolute rulers, kings and dictators, have complete personal liberty. Democracy requires compromise.

At the meeting the other night something was mentioned about Dollar General. . We would shop at Dollar General even if it was not located in a Designated Historical District. I would ask, "Do you know of any one who travels to Llano just to shop at Dollar General?"

Also something was mentioned about the other Historic Designations that exist. Yes, there are such markers for individual structures but, it seems, no way to enforce the preservation of the structure. This proposal would remedy that, allowing the city to impose certain incentives for their preservation.

Llano is a beautiful little town, with the river flowing through, the old bridge; the unique horse shoe dam with falls; the old courthouse and other old buildings. The little town is fortunate in that many old structures still remain. Look at the south side of Main Street; these entrepreneurs have managed to create an interesting, yet quaint and appealing appearance. The proposed historical district certainly is not "anti-business". It is my opinion that it promotes businesses and the way to do that is to attract visitors and, perhaps, increase populace. What attracts people to Llano? I believe it is beauty and history. In order to attract visitors who shop, stay in motels and spend money, and perhaps purchase homes and land, we must preserve our beauty and historical elements.

Several structures in the proposed Historical District are connected to some of Llano’s very first citizens. The old name families who settled Llano left this wonderful legacy as a testamentary to their lives and times. It seems their heirs would be proud and willing to honor them. What better way than to pass this proposed legislation creating A City of Llano Historic District.?

Winnie J. Tate-Morgan

Dear Editor,

Having been born in Texas, we’re all too familiar with that "don’t tell me what to do" gene that all of us Texans seem to be born with. Well, unfortunately that gene got a good workout last Thursday evening at the Lantex Theatre where the "don’t tell me’ers" seemed to out-number the "I’m here to listen’ers". We say unfortunately, because "if you ain’t listening, you ain’t learning" and there was a lot to be learned by both sides. On the one side, there seemed to be a lack of knowledge as to the mechanics and the benefits of a historic district. On the other side there seemed to be a lack of knowledge as to depth of concern on the part of property owners as to the effect of a historic district on property rights and values. It sure started to look like a like a "Cool Hand Luke" failure to communicate moment. Well, like most everyone present, we had an opinion on historic districts but as you probably know, opinions without knowledge are kind of like owning a fancy car with no motor: it may impress some people but it won’t get you anywhere. Answer? Research. Nothing fancy. Just what anyone with an Internet connection and a few hours of time can do. Result? We now firmly believe that establishment of a historic preservation zoning ordinance and the creation of a historic district is a positive step for Llano and one that will have benefits throughout the City and County.

Of direct benefit to the property owner or potential investor is that historic district studies across the Nation, from Arizona to Maryland, Colorado to New Jersey, Kentucky to Virginia and, yes, even in Texas have shown that property values within historic districts have not only increased, but have increased at a faster rate than property values outside of historic districts. Typically, these differences have ranged from 5-35% and hold true for both old and new properties within the district. This results from the fact that historic preservation ordinances act as a safeguard against teardowns, poorly maintained structures, and overbuilding, and provide some assurance of the area’s quality in the future. Additional benefits to property owners can be found in Federal Tax credits and State and Local incentives which can reduce construction costs, waive fees and provide low cost loans and grants for properties within a historic district.

Of benefit to the business community are the additional tourist dollars which historic districts have been shown to generate. Do you remember the last time you traveled somewhere to look a stripmall? Probably never! Well, each year millions of dollars are spent by cultural heritage tourists who travel to experience places, artifacts and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present. Places and experiences such as are found in historic districts. As visitors to the area, these tourists spend money on food and drink, retail purchases, gas, lodging and other items. Their direct expenditures represent new money for Llano and support local jobs and income as well generating additional jobs and income as this money circulates through our local economy.

Of more indirect, but more wide-spread benefit, is the sense of place that is created by a historic district which helps us all to recognize the values of time and place which in our daily lives we often overlook or take for granted. It helps us to preserve those values that we hold dear and which bind us to Llano, to Texas and to the United States of America. Do you remember the first time in your life that you looked at our magnificent courthouse or noticed the date and the detail contained in the facade of some building and felt them speak to something deep inside you? Did they speak of history? Of a childhood memory? Of a link between yourself and those who came before you and those who will come after you? For us on that happy day when we first drove into Llano they spoke of Home. Buildings have tales to tell and these stories are worth preserving.

There is probably no question that a historic preservation ordinance can be an inconvenience at times and that a property owner may give up a degree of control over his or her property, but the benefits almost always appear to outweigh the disadvantages. Any "bumps in the road" can easily be smoothed over by involving all segments of the Llano population in the process of creating and implementing such an ordinance and by ensuring that the ordinance is responsive in a timely manner to the district property owners. We know there will be a few who will let ideology overcome issues and remain opposed to an ordinance no matter what facts are presented. For the rest of us, we need to apply the 3 C’s, Commonsense, Communication and Compromise and move forward with establishing a City of Llano Historical Preservation Ordinance. In the end, it’s about focusing on the power of preservation rather than the preservation of power.

Dave & Inell Franks

Llano, Texas