Delay a good idea (1/6/03)

It’s a reasonable request.

Headwaters Heritage, the county’s historic preservation organization, asked the city of Portland to slow down on its plans to sell the former fire station.

The building, the group pointed out, is listed as outstanding in a survey of the county’s historic structures. And its location just across the street from the Jay County Courthouse is prime in terms of visibility on the city’s public face.

What the group has requested is simply time to figure out a future for the structure which would preserve and protect it.

That delay won’t come at great cost to the city, and it could pay a significant dividend in terms of preserving a part of the community’s cultural heritage.

For our part, we think a delay makes sense as long as it accompanied by an active process of finding a viable future for the building.

And we’re delighted to see Headwaters Heritage — which seriously dropped the ball when the future of the 1925 portion of old Portland High School was at issue — back on track as a historic preservation organization. — J.R.

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