[MassHistPres] 1857 House in Historic District Slated for Demolition

[Suzanne W Pelton]

I hope someone has a last minute effort to suggest for this  
unexpected development:

A month ago the Lenox HDC denied a permit for demolition for an 1857  
house in the Historic District and we breathed a sign of relief. Now,  
all of a sudden today, chairs of the HDC and HC were advised of a  
"workshop" (off-camera, no minutes) the Select Board held last night  
before their regularly scheduled meeting, to "discuss" the house. The  
owner refuses to make repairs. An independent engineer reported the  
house was unsafe and it has been boarded up. Now the building  
inspector says the house must be demolished--probably within 24  
hours. I've been given til a brief respite to see if there is  
anything we are missing to prevent its demolition. Lenox does not  
have a Minimum Maintenance Ordinance or a Demolition Delay Bylaw but  
it seems we're also not to be given any time to see if anyone would  
like to dismantle or move the house.

When I asked how it was unsafe, I was told no one could live in it.  
Agreed but that's not the issue, I said. When I asked if it was in  
danger of falling on anyone, all I got was "it's unsafe."

Any ideas you can give us will be most welcome.

Suzanne Pelton
Lenox Historical Commission