Was yesterday’s zaniness just good fun or chilling foreshadowing? Only time will tell. Readers may have noticed a large number of stories about new legislation by our city council. With the exception of the closed-toe shoe ban, nearly all of the bans listed have been proposed or enacted somewhere else in the world. Almost all of the arguments supporting these hypothetical stories, in fact, have been used to support bans and proposed Raleigh ordinances in the previous six months. The Raleigh City Council must proceed very cautiously, as growing animosity in the community could incite revolutionary changes at the next election that would make the Fetzer/Coble era look liberal.

The debate over house renovations and replacements is a very sensitive one. No easy solution exists, and both sides have many valid points. For example imagine a house in Raleigh that has been revered by many for decades. It sits on a large, valuable plot of land that could be subdivided for a large profit. The family doesn’t want the house any more as it needs millions of dollars to repair to get it to today’s standards. Do you know which house I’m describing?

I was informed that Tatton Hall did, in fact, undergo a multi-million dollar renovation and is now beautiful inside. Part of its land was subdivided almost 30 years ago to form Tatton Pl., but thankfully the owners decided not to cash in on its incredibly valuable property. However, I was actually referring to the Pascal House . Designed by James Fitzgibbon, the 1,334 square foot house has been featured in Modernist home tours, books, and websites and is now for sale. The asking price is $5.7 million, or $1,707 per square foot. The house needs much restoration, though, and will likely be demolished. While the owner of the house is within rights to cash in on the 2.9 acre plot of land, it is nonetheless a shame to lose this unique piece in our patchwork quilt. What if the owners of Tatton Hall had opted for demolition and redevelopment instead of renovation? They, too, would have been within their rights as private property owners, and too, it would be a shame for Raleigh to lose this treasure.

The Raleigh City Council does not have an easy job ahead. However its actions should be toward making Raleigh better via choice and opportunity rather than their current, restriction-oriented path.