Wellsville man objects to proposed “East Historic District”

Subject: Village of Wellsville NY East Historic District, pictured

Dear New York State Board for Historic Preservation Committee,

I am writing to express my objection to your committee including my property to your Village of Wellsville NY East Historic District.

Key Points:

• Though your letter of September 24^th, 2024 stated, “In general, there are no restrictions placed upon private owners of registered properties,”  I have found in my 61 years of living that governments and their unelected bureaucracies do not always tell the truth nor abide by their own rules.  I do not want a bureaucrat that does not even live in my village to have any say whatsoever on what I can and cannot do with my property that I own.  Also in your letter, “If a majority of the private property owners in the district object to the listing via the process noted below, it will prevent the district from being listed.”  That line should say, “If a majority of the private property owners in the district APPROVE to the listing…”  We are a Constitutional Republic, and your department should seek majority approval from the owners, not majority objection.  This is a “sleight of hand” being done by the Historic Preservation Committee and should not be allowed.
• Another “sleight of hand” also being done by the committee; “If a district cannot be listed because of owner objection, the SHPO will submit the nomination to the Keeper of the National Register for a determination of eligibility for listing.  Properties formally determined eligible for National Register listing by the Keeper are subject…There are no provisions in the New York State Historic Preservation Act that allow owners to prevent listing in the State Register by means of objection.”  Then why are you even bothering to ask the owners if you are going to do it anyway without our informed consent and approval?  The alleged opportunity to object now appears as a false and a bad faith show by the committee pretending to seek owner/taxpayer approval, instead of a serious good faith seeking of input by public servants from their masters the voters.

I am not trying to be rude or difficult, but I will bluntly point out the realistic nature of unelected government bureaucracies. They crave control, usually at a significant cost to the taxpayer and their rights, and are insulated and unaccountable to the voters whom they allegedly serve.  We just had an election earlier this month where the American people overwhelmingly rejected this type of government/bureaucracy shenanigans and tyranny.

As the owner and resident of N. Main St Wellsville NY, I formally object to your committee including my property, located at the above address, to your Village of Wellsville NY East Historic District.  Written and signed in accordance to the requirements cited by the New York State Board for Historic Preservation 28 U.S.C § 1746, “I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.”

Sincerely,

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Read more about the proposed historic district designations