of protecting the past and the prohibition of progress

Recently, an issue has come before the San Antonio Historic Design and Review Commission. A developer has submitted a plan to build a 24-story hotel on a skinny lot on the Riverwalk that is currently occupied by a crumbling, old 3-story structure.

The HDRC has refused to grant the demolition permit to the hotel, citing the current structure's historic nature without ever stating what was historic about it - other than the fact that it is old.

(And let me note that this is a building that is currently demolishing itself. Walking by the other day, I almost had a foot crushed by a stone block that just fell out of it's facade.)

In a city as historically rich as San Antonio, we often get carried away with our desire to preserve its history.

This is a theme in many areas of our lives...

At what cost do we continually eschew progress? At what cost do we protect the past? What areas of our lives are already crumbling and yet we refuse to give in?