Xenophobia or Cultural Bias?

I find the recent New York Times article on the renovations afoot at the Hotel Lambert on the Seine fascinating.

There are the obvious intrigues of historic preservation, such as endless debates about installing elevators, accommodating cars within designs that predate the invention of them by hundreds of years, and so on. But leave it to the french to make the story also about xenophobia and cultural bias.

Naturally, the complaint is that the proposed renovations would threaten the cultural patrimony of France itself. This is generally a good thing to be concerned with, but for two things:

1. The french government has a lot of safeguards, and it appears that the use of a particular architect who is well-versed in just the sort of delicate and complex restoration that is proposed will probably ensure that it is done properly, at least with proper oversight.

2. Similarly histrionic groups said the same thing about Euro Disney. Which, to be fair, is an abomination, but hardly a nefarious mechanism for degrading France's cultural patrimony.

So I suppose I have no idea what to make of the competing sides, except to note that it would be a shame if a proper and well-done restoration were averted due to hysteria.