Background to destruction . . . .

The Historic Preservation Commission
Nine members selected by the City Council to represent historic landmarks in Wilmington, North Carolina, and protect them from destruction.

The Staff
A group of intelligent and enthusiastic working people who know downtown history well. Their recommendations are based on research and knowledge. Unfortunately, the Commission has the power to overrule the Staff. This is doubly unfortunate since the Staff knows much more about historic preservation than the Commissioners. The latter are just temporary adjuncts.

The Exploitation
The Historic Preservation Commission provides an ideal training camp for future destroyers of historic properties. They learn the ways of the game and the gapingly large holes in the system. They make friends with each other, most of whom are already in the real-estate business. There are no historians on the commission. The group is composed almost entirely of contractors, architects and developers. Some of these will later use what they have learned on the board (e.g., Don Lashley) to help them evade the Preservation goals.

The Money
The ways of secret monies in this small southern town are circuitous. The "recruited" Historic Preservation Commissioner will grant a favor while on the board and expect to receive one when his own time comes to be paid back. As a contractor or architect the HPC member may even be hired to assist in the project: his pay-off will come to him indirectly as "services rendered." All perfectly legal. All perfectly wrong.

The Theater
Few things are more lurid and comical than watching a Historic Preservation Commission hearing when an old friend comes up to apply for a permit. The HPC must then pretend to seriously weigh the matter, and that's where the fun begins. It's like watching Britney Spears pretending to give serious thought to something. As a former HPC member has informed us: "They need to go to acting school. You can almost see the strings holding their shoulders up." On the other hand, watch their ferocity as they try to intimidate the average citizen, blocking his attempt to get something minor changed like an awning refurbishment. The act gives the average man an impression of a "stern and powerful" HPC. In fact they are stern only with outsiders.

The Uselessness
The Historic Preservation Commission of Wilmington is part kangaroo court and part joke. It is so poorly empowered by law that to date it has not managed to save a single old building. It has outlived its meaning to the community. It should either be abolished or repaired. At present is does nothing more than give us a false (and dangerous) impression that there are limits to what historic landmarks can be destroyed in Wilmington. There are no limits and it is the former Historic Preservation Commissioners themselves who are now pushing those remaining barriers to the extreme.

The Method
Don Lashley knew the ropes when he applied to bury the Wilmington Iron Works building beneath a condo project. He knew them because he was a former Historic Preservation Commissioner himself. He knew what to say, and how to say it. He gave an impression of "blackmailing" the City of Wilmington into compliance: If he did not get his way, he would have the building condemned and demolished. He could then do as he pleased. The HPC would be powerless to stop him. In this turmoil nobody seemed to notice that he was being permitted for a building 49 feet tall on a street (Orange Street) where no 49 foot buildings have ever existed, opening the doorway for other overly tall buildings to be developed on all sides of him. Lashley's move would change quaint Orange Street forever. This is just what developers downtown have long wanted. Tall buildings along the waterfront. Moreover, by caving in to Lashley's "blackmail", the Historic Preservation Commission has opened the door to countless future blackmailer's who will have seen the efficacy of using Lashley's ploy. Now anyone can threaten to destroy a historic property and expect a permit to amend that structure to his own specs.

It never occurred to anyone to ask why a former Historic Preservation Commissioner would become an instant turncoat and betray his pledge to protect historic landmarks. But this is exactly what Lashley did.

The Larger Powers
Wilmington City Councilman and now Mayor pro tem, Jim Quinn, went even further, betraying our trust while in public office. A Historic Preservation Commissioner, he knew all the twists and turns to fool the system. He sold the Ice-House to the man who demolished it, making himself a fat paycheck. He guided his customer through the process of condemnation and demolition, so that the deal would stick. How was he paid for these additional efforts? Today Jim Quinn is the Mayor pro tem. He is backed by the same groups who see the advantage of keeping a puppet in power.

The Verdicts
Jim Quinn: former Historic Preservation Commissioner, City Councilman, Mayor pro tem, and real-estate sales person. Used HPC and City Council connections to betray the public's confidence and trust while holding a government job.

Don Lashley: former Historic Preservation Commissioner, turned destroyer of historic landmarks in downtown Wilmington. Betrayed the public's confidence and trust after leaving public office (HPC). Used HPC connections and position to defraud the Historic Preservation system

Todd Toconis, builder-developer. Destroyed Wilmington's historic Ice House to build condos. Sued the city to get his way (he won), undermining the historic preservation laws.

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