Attacks on Westport Historical Commission are unwarranted and unfair

Posted 5/3/18

Is it open season on the Westport Historical Commission (the “WHC”)?

In two recent letters published in Shorelines , the WHC, or its members, are charged with being …

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Attacks on Westport Historical Commission are unwarranted and unfair

Posted

Is it open season on the Westport Historical Commission (the “WHC”)?

In two recent letters published in Shorelines, the WHC, or its members, are charged with being “arbitrary,” “capricious,” rigid, “unyielding,” without consideration for the living, “dismissive and derisive,” elitist, “autocratic,” “unscrupulous,” “self-serving,” and bullying.

Some of this vituperation may be ideologically driven, such as the elevation of property rights over community rights, or even individual responsibility. Some of it appears to be the result of misunderstandings: of the WHC’s processes and policies; what authority the WHC does or doesn’t have; what considerations are applicable to its deliberations; or even, when WHC members try to work with property owners, and suggest alternatives that the owners might not have considered, whether those suggestions are high-handed fiats.

For the rest of it, I understand that people are unhappy to hear that they can’t do whatever they damn well please on their property; but doing whatever you damn well please on your property is what leads to things like the Medeiros farm tragedy; the degradation of the Westport watershed; or the destruction of the character that makes Westport unique, and the consequential diminishment of the quality of life for everyone who lives here.

Having been a member of the WHC for the last year and a half, what I’ve witnessed at WHC meetings, is a dedicated, all-volunteer group of people working extraordinarily hard to perform an extremely difficult task, of tremendous value to this community; doing so with exemplary tact, courtesy, and professionalism; and leaning over backwards to try to help people meet both their needs, and the objectives of the WHC; particularly Bill Kendall, the WHC chairman.

I was absent from the April 12 WHC meeting at which it was voted to deny permission to demolish Mr. Squire’s circa 1770 house at 126 Cornell Road for one year while the WHC tries to work with him to find a better alternative. When I read Mr. Squire’s emotionally charged characterization of that meeting, I couldn’t believe that it was true; so I watched it, and it wasn’t.

If you don’t believe me, about this, or about how I or anyone else has characterized the WHC, judge for yourself. All of the WHC meetings are videotaped by the Town of Westport, and can be watched by anyone on the town website.

Rud Lawrence
Westport

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Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.