Last night, I was proud to second the motion to designate 24 Martins Lane as a Rockville historic district, adding the property to the Historic District Overlay Zone. While this property is unquestionably an important part of Rockville's history, this vote was not an easy issue, and I spent considerable time before and during the meeting asking questions about what historic designation can (and cannot) accomplish.

24 Martins Lane is part of Rockville’s historic Haiti/Martins Lane community, one of the City’s oldest Black communities. Its history dates to approximately 1830, when free Black landowner Samuel Martin settled in the area. Generations of families built a community there before Haiti was eventually annexed into Rockville in 1949. Rockville’s Comprehensive Plan recognizes the importance of this history and specifically calls for greater awareness, documentation and preservation of the Haiti/Martins Lane community.

The Historic District Commission determined that 24 Martins Lane met five of the City’s historic-designation criteria, and the Planning Commission subsequently found that designation was consistent with Rockville’s Comprehensive Plan and the purposes of the Historic District Overlay Zone.

However, my questions last night and to staff over the past week went beyond whether this property has historic significance. I wanted to understand how an important piece of Rockville’s history was allowed to deteriorate to this point and what we should learn from it.

Historic preservation cannot simply mean waiting until a building is badly deteriorated and then simily placing a historic designation on it. We need to think more proactively about identifying historically important properties, documenting their history, working with property owners, finding opportunities for stabilization and rehabilitation, and making sure that Rockville's significant places do not quietly disappear.

That concern is especially important in Haiti/Martins Lane. Rockville’s own historic-preservation planning has recognized for decades that modest historic structures in the City’s historically Black communities can be particularly vulnerable to deterioration and redevelopment pressures. The City’s preservation planning has called not only for historic designation, but also for documentation, archaeological work, stabilization and other protective measures.

At the same time, preserving Rockville’s history cannot mean preventing our City from evolving or leaving deteriorated, unoccupied buildings standing indefinitely. Rockville needs housing, investment and thoughtful development. Historic preservation and responsible development should not be treated as opposing goals. Our challenge is to allow Rockville to continue growing while making sure that growth respects and, where possible, incorporates the stories and places that made our community what it is.

That is why I also asked staff what happens if the structure at 24 Martins Lane ultimately cannot be preserved. Historic designation applies to the property as well as the existing structure, so even if demolition is eventually approved, future changes and development on the site will remain subject to review by the Historic District Commission.  However, we should also be thinking about other ways to preserve the history itself... for example, through documentation, historic markers and interpretation, and other ways of ensuring that future generations understand what occurred there.

I also raised concerns about demolition by neglect. A preservation system works best when it helps prevent historically important buildings from reaching a point where preservation may no longer be realistic. Once a structure has deteriorated severely, the choices become much harder for the City, the property owner and the community.

Ultimately, I supported the designation of 24 Martins Lane because the history of this property and the Haiti/Martins Lane community deserves to be recognized and protected. But the larger lesson should not end with a zoning designation.

We should be asking how Rockville can preserve its history earlier, more effectively and more creatively while still allowing responsible development and ensuring that deteriorated properties do not simply remain vacant indefinitely. Rockville can grow and change without losing the history that makes it Rockville. Our responsibility is to find that balance.