The hell with our history. That's the philosophy of the city's planning commission. Last week I discussed the raising of the Civil War ship, U.S.S. Monitor, that Trojans helped build in 1861. The federal government is currently spending $6.5 million to recover the ship's turret this summer and our city planning commission recently approved demolition of the very foundry building that made the ship's protective iron plates. It's a national disgrace and I think it's time that this planning commission gets its walking papers. The foundry is being dismantled as you read this.

I have watched many sessions of Troy's planning commission. I have watched the chairman shout down the very citizens who exercise their right to comment on proposed developments. I have watched members of that commission roll their eyes as "regulars" (aka concerned citizens) speak their piece. I have seen members vote on demolition of historic buildings without batting an eye, nor even asking the question - "is this building important to the history of our city?"

The Albany Iron Works (Rolling Mill) in South Troy is not pretty. It's not a stately mansion, nor a church, or perhaps not even architectualy significant. It's a simple foundry building, but when built in the early 19th century was considered the largest in the country and state of the art. It made many things, but certainly the fame attributed to it is for making the hull plates for the Monitor, and for that it has national significance and recognition. Anyone familiar with naval, Civil War, or general American history knows about this industrial building in South Troy. Just weeks ago Troy's industrial heritage was given national exposure when it was featured for 18 minutes in a PBS documentary. Why is it that everyone around the country appreciates our history - except for our own planning commission?

We have memorials to soldiers of WW I & II, Korea, Vietnam, even the Spanish American War. Is this site not a fitting memorial to the sailors of the Civil War period Monitor?

Troy's planning commission too often allows historic resources to be destroyed. However, where is the outrage from our Federal representatives like McNulty, Clinton, Sweeney, Schumer, or State leaders like Joe Bruno on the destruction of this national treasure? Where is the Rensselear County Historical Society? And where is the leadership of our elected city officials that continue to let these resources get raped and pillaged at the whim of any developer.

So what, you ask. It's just another old building. But it's our unique assemblage of historic buildings that makes Troy so different from the rest of the country. It is also the very foundation of what can become an economic renaissance for this city. Do you think millions of tourists will flock to Troy to see parking garages, vanilla box chain drug stores, or nicely paved streets? One out of every three foreign travellers to America come to visit an American historic site.

Troy has a limited number of historic resources and every day we continue to loose more by short sighted - hell no, these folks are blind - public officials. Heritage tourism is a billion dollar industry and Troy is not getting a piece of the pie, not even a crumb. Our tourism brochure would be filled with pictures of holes in the ground. Our tag line? "Welcome to Troy - We gave birth to America's Industrial Revolution but buried the proof."

This rolling mill is not simply some building that the owner wants to transform into a salvage yard or whatever. It represents part of the larger story of American will power, innovation, and triumph during one of darkest periods of our history. It was determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places several years ago by the State's Historic Preservation Office, but never acted on locally.

When it was deemed important to save our wilderness areas, we created national parks. When we deemed it important to develop areas for our fallen soldiers, we created national battlefields. There is now a federal effort with millions of dollars being spent to rescue and preserve the Monitor. Can we do any less than to save the very building that helped make it?

If we cannot save this building from destruction, at the very minimum the facade should be preserved so it can be rebuilt as a memorial, perhaps at a location where people do appreciate its significance.