Wednesday, August 11, 2010

After reviewing a July 11 decision of the Key West Historic Architectural Review Commission concerning the placement of a photovoltaic array of 25 solar panels on the southwest-facing roof area of an Emma Street home, we have to wonder if the city has gone too far with its well-intentioned but often perplexing rules for preserving the historic appearance of the Old Town area of Key West.

As the issue stands, the homeowner, the contractor and their attorney are appealing the HARC ruling to a special master to determine whether the city's code supersedes Florida State Statute 163.04, which prohibits local governments from passing laws that prohibit solar-energy devices.

While it's not an issue likely to go before the Supreme Court, the city must come to some understanding about how "purist" it wants to be when it comes to historic preservation.

This question arose after a tongue-in-cheek discussion on whether city sidewalks in Old Town were compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act in the 1800s. We know the streets were much narrower back then, and there's little evidence of wheelchair-friendly curb cuts.

When technology brought electric lighting and telephones to our homes, how did the city make the leap to fitting the now ubiquitous utility poles and transformers into the 19th century motif that HARC so fervently guards?

With chain-link fences on Eaton Street and satellite dishes all around, how did the city draw the line as to what was an acceptable addition of new technology?

Somehow, in what has become known as the Historic Seaport, plans were approved for a contemporary style four-story parking garage, a 21st century ferry terminal and the modern building across the street, the Dante's complex. The line was held with the Schooner Wharf property and the shops at Key West Bight -- but apparently dropped for others, such as Harbour Place.

One might think chaos theory was the overarching paradigm applied in some areas of Old Town -- and yet we see intractable positions taken over white paint on a metal roof, and the use of solar panels.

We sincerely applaud the efforts of the HARC, and we shudder to think of what Key West would look like without its oversight. We do, however, wish it would be a little more flexible when it comes to new technology. It doesn't always blend seamlessly with the motif, but neither did utility poles, electric, phone and cable TV lines -- and, by the way, automobiles.

-- The Citizen