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page 8 period. Since this limit was specified by the ordinance, he said, perhaps the ordinance should be amended to provide more preparation time. He pointed out, however, that the NNW neighborhood group had worked with the MPC staff before the ordinance was introduced. The introduction was, in fact, delayed to allow more preparation time, and would have been delayed still longer had Mr. Holycross not indicated that it was all right to begin formal proceedings. He conceded that the staff report held many accurate and appropriate observations; some of these, however, actually pointed up the reasons for creating a district. Certainly the area had lost some historic structures since the first 1976 survey had named it a potential historic district; creating a district, it was hoped, would halt this loss and preserve the neighborhood's distinctive historic fabric. True, the area had many structures with ahistoric alterations. As the HPC staff had argued in the December, 1991 Lincolnway East secession hearing, however, these alterations could be reversed and the structures restored to historically contributing status. The issue of support, he said, was indeed critical. He had been given a petition with 123 signatures since the ordinance had been introduced. Members of the steering committee had been working to garner more support. He said that, over the past few years, perceptions of historic districts had been changing; historic district designation was no longer just for elite neighborhoods, but for working-class areas as well. Nine local landmarks existed within the proposed boundaries. He said the issue of the HPC's administrative capacity should not be the deciding factor. If the staff was too small, it might be increased. The benefits of creating this historic district, he said, included the preservation of good housing stock, the upgrading of deteriorated structures, and increased investment in the neighborhood. Also, to belong to a historic district would honor the residents and make people proud to live in this area. Finally, in the, event that the proposed district received an unfavorable recommendation, he asked the HPC for alternate proposals to send to the Common Council.