Can Soulard Go Solar? Historic Preservation and Sustainable Neighborhoods in St. Louis

The story of the Bastille in Soulard hoping to install solar panels on the roof has received quite a bit of attention. The five W's and an S has been covered by Post-Dispatch. Michael Allen at the Preservation Research Office focuses on the historical aspect. The short of it is that Bob Hiscox, owner of the Bastille Bar in Soulard bought solar panels, prepped his roof and began installation. Someone pointed out to the city that such as project requires a permit, and in the case of a local historic district, a super special permit (potentially further review by the city's Cultural Resources Office (CRO) and Preservation Board). Bob didn't have a permit, so the story goes. The Soulard Restoration Group opposed the panels. The CRO denied a permit and the Preservation Board voted 4-2 against installation.

This particular story ends there. The Soulard Neighborhood Historic District Rehabilitation and New Construction Standards simply state, "Solar collectors shall not be visible from a street." Well that was easy. One may actually have to wonder how the Preservation Board vote was 4-2. The interesting story here isn't about whether the Soulard Historic District rules permit the installation of Bob's solar panels (it doesn't), but whether, and how far, historic districts should go to accomodate sustainable energy projects. Perhaps the two votes in Bob's favor just disagree with the existing standards.