Aesthetics and Values
Aesthetics, Community and Economic Value
Although every house has importance and significance to the families that live in it, houses also have a significant impact on the community around them.
Countless studies have confirmed that aesthetics matter in both the economic and social value of an area:
Beauty in the Eye of the Home-Owner: Aesthetic Zoning and Residential Property Values
“This paper empirically confirms one core motivation for architectural zoning: Shape homogeneity among neighboring homes increases the value of residential buildings.”
Beautiful Places: The Role of Perceived Aesthetic Beauty in Community Satisfaction
“The findings confirm that perceived beauty or aesthetic character of a location has a positive and significant effect on perceived community satisfaction.”
Assessing the Effect of Architectural Design on Real Estate Values: A Qualitative Approach
“It has long been known that ‘good’ architecture and quality design are public goods, as they have been shown to increase surrounding property values, create a sense of community, and provide a catalyst for future development.”
Protecting Wyndmoor’s Aesthetics and Character
How does one protect the aesthetic value and character in a neighborhood? By implementing historic zones and providing guidance to developers on what can and can’t be built. Pennsylvania has well established case law and many geographic areas where these types of ordinances have been put in place, including: Philadelphia, Plymouth Township, Whitemarsh, West Chester, Newtown, Kennet Square, Radnor, Lancaster, Lower Merion, Norristown, Carlisle, Erie, Reading, Bethlehem and many others…
One such approach to preserving Wyndmoor could be the use of the Municipalities Planning Code:
Municipalities Planning Code
“The Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) includes provisions that allow municipalities to enact zoning ordinances that protect and enhance historic properties. The language in the MPC is broader and less specific than the Historic District Act, and municipalities have used this authority to protect individual properties in rural or suburban settings, require special consideration of historic preservation when reviewing variance, subdivision, and special exception applications, and provide development incentives that protect important characteristics of historic properties that are undergoing changes or development. ”
Chapter 4 of this document goes in to detail on land use and lists objectives for the township. The first two objectives listed in this chapter are:
- Update the zoning and subdivision and land development ordinances to reflect the current and future needs of the township.
- What progress has been made on this objective?
- Provide for compatible infill development that respects the scale of existing neighborhoods and architectural history.
- Will the township adhere to this objective?
What’s Next?
The destruction of the Medinger House, via the use of a permit for an addition, proves that our township is not sufficiently protected. We must ask the commissioners and township officials what progress has been made on the objectives listed above - the ones laid out in 2012. The township has the tools to establish protections for our community, via the myriad resources provided by the state - including a “Community Preservation Coordinator” in our region and the Municipalities Planning Code.