Virginia rightly prides itself on its historic role in the development of the United States and maintains many historic structures for the enjoyment and education of current and future generations. Yet the burgeoning population of urban areas of the state has led to the erasure of older structures in the race among developers to make more money along with high-minded, if largely unsuccessful, efforts to squeeze in affordable housing. Not everything merits historic preservation, of course, but without the kind of process contemplated in HB 1395, those structures and locations that do merit preservation will not gain protection. At some point, private property rights should not automatically trump preservation of our common heritage. Please vote yes on HB 1395.

I strongly urge the House of Delegates to approve HB1395, sponsored by Delegate Patrick Hope. These two modest amendments to State Historic Preservation Law will have major impact on future efforts state-wide to protect and preserve historic properties. Element 1 will ensure that demolition of any property under consideration for local historic district designation CAN NOT take place unless and until the local historic district designation application process has been fully completed and voted on by the local governing entity. Element 2 will give standing to, and allow any citizen in the local district, to appeal any adverse decision regarding local historic district designation through the courts system. While simple, straightforward and modest, approval and enactment will ensure that future actions regarding local historic district designation are fair, honest, open, and rational. Approval will open the appeal process through the courts system to any local citizen, a right guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. Any local citizen will have "standing" for an appeal to any adverse decision by the local government regarding an application for local historic district designation. If approved, this Bill will prevent the type of disaster that occurred in Arlington in 2020. At that time, the historic 1855 Febrey-Lothrop-Rouse mansion in Arlington and 9.5 acres of land around it, were totally demolished and destroyed. This was directly due to the fact that the application for local historic district designation for this historically significant site was still in process through the Arlington County government, and had not been completed or voted on as required, prior to a demolition permit being issued, and the entire site being destroyed, demolished, permanently lost. Forever lost were the main house built largely by the labor of enslaved people (true craftsmen, carpenters, stonemasons, etc.) in 1855, a large guest house, several large barns and outbuildings, tennis court, in-ground swimming pool, cabana, and numerous 150+ year old magnolia and oak trees. This site was considered historically significant because during the Civil War, over 35,000 Union soldiers camped, trained and drilled here from 1862-1865 on this actual site. The site was known to be a major source for finding Civil War artifacts, such as buttons, bullets, canteens, belt buckles, bayonets, etc. etc. All of this buried treasure is now lost forever. Approval of HB1395 will help significantly to prevent such disasters from occurring again, anywhere in the State of Virginia, and will give every citizen in the local jurisdiction the right of appeal to any adverse decision by the applicable local governing body. I urge all Delegates to vote in favor of HB1395. Thank you very much. Tom Dickinson Past President, 16 year member of the Board of Directors, Arlington Historical Society Founding Director, Preservation Arlington Board of Directors, Arlington Heritage Alliance Founder, Save Historic Arlington