The other comment is all wrong. The HPC has no control over this Westbrook district. It's a National Register district and has a federal guideline that only means a 90 day stay of demolition is in place, instead of a zero day delay, and residents can take a federal tax break. That's it. Meanwhile, the Historic Preservation Commission has jurisdiction in the much smaller Local Historic Districts downtown. In those local districts HPC has design review power through hearings - powers that extend, at their most stringent, to a 365 day stay of demolition and input in development and extensive external changes to a historic property. This oversight is bought into by people living in local districts, it gives owners a bigger tax break and means inappropriate development is difficult in a local historic district. That's good for heritage tourism (people want to see Wilmington's beautiful houses and districts), quality of life for residents, and it keeps their property prices good and high as no-one can stick a Wal-Mart at 4th and Dock.