Should Cuyahoga County create a preservation board to protect its historic assets? Historic preservation professional Steve McQuillin proposes that a streamlined and revitalized county government might include a county level historic preservation commission charged with protecting and promoting the preservation of our county’s built resources. He writes in his latest newsletter:

Some cities in the county have developed their own local preservation commissions, most notably Cleveland, Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights. Each has a committed staff and broad volunteer base that promotes historic preservation.

But, the majority of county residents do not have any protection for their historic resources and, as a result, key landmarks are lost or are under threat of demolition. If there were a countywide plan for promoting historic preservation, the county might be able to attract more state and federal preservation funding.

A plan for reorganizing county government is required to be submitted by November. Anyone interested in this program can contact Steve McQuillin (440.899.1200)

Or, if you're interested in pursuing the concept of a county preservation board, post a comment here.