[MassHistPres] 1857 House in Historic District Slated forDemolition

[George Shaw]

sounds like the relationship with the BoS is already antagonistic. It
appears that you have the same argument that an aggrieved homeowner would
have. Did the building inspector or BofS act arbitrarily,  etc.? Perhaps a
judge would be willing to grant a temporary "stay of execution" for the
condemned property, until the case winds it way through the halls of
justice. The prospect of a long, drawn out and potentially expensive court
case may make the owner and BofS, as well as the building inspector take
another look at this property. 


> [Original Message]
> From: Dennis De Witt <djd184 at verizon.net>
> To: MassHistPres MA <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Date: 12/3/2009 11:07:01 AM
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] 1857 House in Historic District Slated
forDemolition
>
> Presumably the engineer was hired by the owner?
>
> Brookline had such a case.  The building inspector looked at it,
disagreed with the owner's engineer, and told the owner to secure the
building.
>
> I'm not sure you want to go there and antagonize the BoS but was the
"workshop" not a duly noticed meeting?
>
>  
> On Dec 3, 2009, at 10:43 AM, Suzanne W Pelton wrote:
>
> > 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
> > 
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