At an October meeting of the Historic Preservation Review Board, one applicant from the Takoma neighborhood questioned whether global warming might make the visual appeal of his American Foursquare home moot. ADADBut both supporters and opponents of expanding solar panels in historic neighborhoods say the new rules are ambiguous. But in the United States, she said, historic preservation officials can become fixated on details that obscure a bigger picture. Connecticut is trying to give solar adopters greater flexibility by allowing them to offset violations of historic preservation standards with other actions, such as preservation easements, said Todd Levine, a historian in the state’s historic preservation office. Levine noted that solar panels, unlike some other modifications to historic buildings, are easily reversible — and will inevitably be replaced as technology improves.

Source: Washington Post January 19, 2020 23:15 UTC