I write in support of the Daisey family’s decisions for their family home on Chestnut Street. In my view, families who already owned their property when the regulations were established for the historic district in 2004 should have been grandfathered since new rules were going to take control of the property they bought and maintained, after they purchased the property. Once a new owner bought the property, they would do so knowing the regulations. My property, which already had vinyl siding, was grandfathered in because I could update the vinyl siding and didn’t have to get rid of it, so I know that grandfathering exists!
Another historic district house was bulldozed the night before the regulations went into effect to avoid a commission having more say than the owner does! My current house was bought by my spouse in 1972, when very few people wanted to live here, and probably wouldn’t have been purchased if there was an all-powerful commission telling her what could be done to the property she paid for!
A little common sense and an awareness that people who have lived here a long time and contributed to Lewes long before it was a destination are being pushed out in favor of people who have more money, more contacts and possibly a desired race. Where did the inclusiveness of Lewes go? When control is favored over people, we have traveled far from our roots.
Allow the Daisey family to demolish their property and build again with a house that works in their neighborhood!
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