Dear Editor,

I am writing this letter as a recent homeowner of the City of the Village of Clarkston located within the Historic District.
I start out stating I have no political agenda, have not followed nor support any candidate in the upcoming election but only want to describe our experience with the Historic District Commission (HDC).
We (my wife and I) have long sought to return to Clarkston where we grew up and attended school and for some time, have been actively looking at homes that have come up for sale along Main Street and Holcomb Road. It was the quaintness and historic charm that convinced us this is where we wanted to live. After several years, we were fortunate enough to purchase a beautiful Greek Revival home initially built in the 1830s.
Prior to purchasing, we researched and educated ourselves with the Historic District, the Historical District Commission, and the process and allowability of any modifications we intended to make. I attended several (virtual) HDC meetings prior to finalizing the purchase, making our intentions known. We were warmly welcomed and provided what I thought were very reasonable acceptable renovation requirements clearly in place to maintain the existing historic style, character, architecture, which was exactly why we were drawn to this neighborhood. Mr. Jim Meloche, the chair of the HDC, could not have been more helpful and informative while several other members of the commission took the time to meet with me about the history of the area and our home.
We’ve spent the last 10 months converting the home from a duplex to its original style as a single-family dwelling. Part of this included two separate requests to the HDC for changes to the exterior of the home. This approval process was extremely efficient, providing me ample opportunity to explain my plan, show architecture drawings and why the changes were being sought. The members of the HDC were friendly, supportive and demonstrated a deep commitment to maintaining the historic district ambiance. This approval process did not result in any construction delay nor costly changes I had not intended.
As a new homeowner, I have begun assimilating into the community, including subscribing to The Clarkston News. It was there I became aware the HDC has been under attack for reasons I do not understand but may have political overtones. My intent is to make my experiences with the HDC known and to applaud their efforts to keep the district historically commensurate with the original structures.

Sincerely,
Theodore Quisenberry
Clarkston