When Do Rules on Historic Preservation Go Too Far?

When Jillian and Dan Massetti discovered last year that the slate roof on their 140-year-old house was leaking, they considered replacing it with a composite material resembling slate that would have cost them $45,000. But because the house is in a historic district in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., the couple needed the approval of the city’s Design Review Board.

After four appearances, the board narrowly ruled that because of the house’s prominent location, the Massettis had to use real slate. The cost: $115,000.

When the couple protested, one board member told them: “You bought into the district. You didn’t do your research on it.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/22/business/saratoga-springs-historic-preservation.html