To join or not to join? That is the question property owners in the Standish Historic District must now ask themselves. At Tuesday night’s town council meeting, the council, without public comment or opposition, amended the Historic District ordinance to make participation in the district voluntary instead of mandatory.

“The new ordinance will require written consent from the property owners,” said Chairman Lou Stack. “It also provides incentives to property owners that join the district.”

The original ordinance was created and sent to the voters in November of 2002. The ordinance was designed to protect six buildings in what the ordinance described as the “Standish Historic District.”

Under the original ordinance, owners of these properties were not allowed to alter their buildings in any way without first presenting their plans to the Historic Preservation Commission, and submitting a $200 application fee. The ordinance also placed certain restrictions on what property owners could do to their properties.

Over the past two years the ordinance became the center of a town controversy resulting in lawsuits, council workshops, public hearings, emotional debates about the rights of property owners and finally in November an emergency moratorium which froze the original ordinance and formed an ad hoc committee whose job was to re-write the ordinance.

“That committee has really worked hard,” said Councilor Terry Christy. “I can’t say enough about the people who came together and worked on that committee.”

Members of the town council and other committees feel the new ordinance will please property owners and historians alike.

“I am glad to see the controversy over,” said council member Margaret Spencer. “I am in hopes that (the new ordinance) will be good for all people. I hope the people will come together now for the future.”

Member of the ad hoc committee Dana Edgecomb agreed.

“I think the new ordinance will work,” said Edgecomb, who was a member of the original Historic Preservation Committee. “I agree with having it be voluntary as well as having incentives.”

Standish resident and ad hoc committee member Isabel Higgins is perhaps the happiest with the new ordinance.

Higgins and her husband Robert own property in the Historic District on the corner of routes 25 and 35. In 2005, the Higgins decided to sell their property. In order to sell the property and be in compliance with the ordinance, they needed to present the plan to the Standish Historic Commission. They did. Their application was approved and one month later the Higgins received permission to sell their land.

Shortly after the meeting but before the sale was final, Standish residents Eleanor Dudek and George McNeil sued the Higgins along with the town of Standish for “violating the procedural requirements of the ordinance.”

The lawsuit resulted in a year-long legal battle and a withdrawal from the potential buyer. Eventually the case was dismissed by the courts. That is when the town council stepped in and created a new committee to revise the ordinance.

“Members from both sides of the debate came together for this,” said Christy. “I’m happy as heck with the outcome.”

Both McNeil and Isabel Higgins were members of the committee putting aside their differences and finding the best outcome for everyone involved.

“We are very pleased with the new ordinance, this is what we have wanted,” said Higgins. “My husband and I have been working for two years on this project to be able to do what we want with our property.”

Effective Tuesday night, the Higgins property is no longer a part of the Historic District, and they are free to sell the property without restrictions.

“My birthday is tomorrow,” Higgins said Tuesday night. “And I couldn’t think of a better birthday present.”