[MassHistPres] demolition request

Tue Jan 25 18:26:03 EST 2011

Nancy,

Let me amend my previous post.  We had, and granted, a request to demolish a 
ca. 1950 small ranch - an architecturally discordant element on a mostly 
19th c. principal street - in order to facilitate the moving of an otherwise 
would have been demolished mid-19th c. house, not in a district, to the 
site.  It looks much more appropriate than what it replaced.

Although moving a house from the site with which it has been associated for 
almost 400 years is far less than optimal, that is another possibility, but 
I much prefer the owners finding a buyer who would love that house, as is 
where is, and, as suggested, let them buy or build elsewhere with the 
proceeds.

John Worden
Arlington HDC

John Worden
Arlington HDC

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----- Original Message ----- 
From: <masshistpres-request at cs.umb.edu>
To: <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 12:35 PM
Subject: MassHistPres Digest, Vol 59, Issue 22

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> Today's Topics:
>
>   1. Re: owner request to demolish property based on condition
>      (Anne Louro)
>   2. Re: owner request to demolish property based on condition
>      (slater at alum.rpi.edu)
>   3. Re: Two Feb 5th Events (heartwood restoration)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2011 12:30:42 -0500
> From: "Anne Louro" <Anne.Louro at newbedford-ma.gov>
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] owner request to demolish property based
> on condition
> To: <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Message-ID:
> <F336167D7206864FBF37B13B6A8FE4D8052BC00E at nbeis.NewBedford.priv>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>
>
> One must remember that all demolitions are final, and in this particular
> case, history changing. The apparent historical significance of this
> particular structure calls for an adamant denial.
>
>
>
> It really comes down to a community determining its priorities and
> collectively saying no; this matters to us!
>
>
>
> New Bedford's first act of preservation occurred in 1906 when a fire
> gutted the interior of the Russell Warren designed City Hall, only
> leaving its sturdy granite walls standing. Demolition was never
> considered. Subsequent fire ravaged buildings have been saved since,
> often at the chagrin of the local Building Inspector. In 1977 a gas
> explosion tore the roof and most of the upper walls of a local landmark,
> but again the community came together, fought local officials who felt
> that it was a public hazard and should be raised, and restored this
> important resource.
>
>
>
> As much as this is a local commission decision, it's also a community
> decision to stand up and defend its shared history. I am curious to know
> what the immediate community thinks and how engaged are they in this
> matter?
>
>
>
>
>
> Anne Louro
>
> Historic Preservation Planner
>
> City of New Bedford, MA 02740
>
> 508-979-1488 p
>
> 508-979-1576 f
>
> mailto:Anne.Louro at newbedford-ma.gov
> <mailto:Anne.Louro at newbedford-ma.gov>
>
>
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2011 09:25:14 -0800
> From: <slater at alum.rpi.edu>
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] owner request to demolish property based
> on condition
> To: <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Message-ID: <18e701cbbcb4$d3b794b0$056a010a at mail2world.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> I treat hardship as a two-part test. It sounds like the first part of
> the test may have been met -- the structure has problems specific to it,
> and not other properties (repairs need to be made).
>
> The second part is weighing the cost of appropriate repairs to the
> detriment of the district if the appropriate action is not taken. If the
> property is very significant to the town and district, then that is a
> higher burden to meet someone rehabbing a garage at the rear of a
> parcel. Higher costs may be inconvenient, but they must be a hardship to
> qualify for the certificate, and if the homeowner is indicating that
> they have funds to build a new house on the same lot, then they must
> have some funds to rehabilitate the property.
>
> What I would do is to try and find out how much they have budgeted for
> the new structure, and use that as a basis for rehab. Let's say they
> want to build a house costing $300,000 on the lot, then they have
> $300,000 to bring the property up to code. The fact that some of that
> $300,000 would have gone into granite countertops is not relevant, it is
> money that is potentially available.
>
> I would ask for multiple detailed quotes for rehab -- again, try and
> weed out the "nice to have" improvements like the granite countertops
> and go with "must have" costs.
>
> Now if you get multiple credible estimates that rehab is going to cost
> $1 million, and the value of the property afterward would only be
> $500,000, then that is a genuine hardship, in my opinion. But if the
> value of the rehab is close to the value of the property, even if it is
> a little bit over, then it is not a hardship to rehab.
>
> Remember, the ability to not maximize profit is not a hardship. The fact
> that their small old house is not worth as much as a larger new house is
> not a hardship, even if repairs are needed. I would also use $0 as the
> cost basis for their property if they inherited it, meaning that they
> should be able to expend as much as the house is worth when finished.
>
> Ralph Slate
> Springfield, MA
>
>
> <-----Original Message----->Hi everyone.
>>
>>We have had an owner application for a certificate of hardship to allow
>>them t o demolish a house they own in the district. I will just copy
>>here the minutes from the meeting this evening, and ask for comments.
>>
>>
>>Applicant came to discuss the situation with the family homestead, she
>>and her brother are the current owners, as of 1998. They want to
>>demolish the house and build a new house in the same location, and
> would
>>begin that process by requesting a certificate of hardship, based on
> the
>>age and condition of the existing structure. The original house is a
>>cape circa 1630, built by Josiah Standish, one of the original settlers
>>of West Tisbury, and the son of Miles Standish, a well known figure in
>>American history. The additions to the original structure were built in
>>1865 by applicant's great great grandfather. The house has great
>>significance in the town's history, and is a town and island landmark.
>>But it is in severe disrepair, and the current owners are not able to
> do
>>the work needed to preserve it. Demolishing it and building a new home
>>would be their preferred solution.
>>
>>It is not clear if a hardship that is unique to the property and is not
>>applicable to the rest of the district, which is required by our bylaw,
>>could be that it is older than any other structure in the district and
>>is in such disrepair that it is not worth fixing.
>>
>>One of our members suggested we do some research to see how other
>>districts have handled the issue of a house that is of great historic
>>value to a district, but is beyond repair and/or too costly for the
>>owners to repair. We decided to contact the Mass Historic Commission
>>Mail Server List, and raise the issue.
>>
>>There was discussion by the members as to whether the original 1630
> cape
>>was more historic than the 1875 additions, which were add-ons, and if
>>those add-ons could be demolished and not replaced, while the original
>>cape could also be demolished, but be replaced by a replica.
>>
>>The decision was made to schedule a site visit for Saturday the 29th at
>>10:30 am. The members of the Historic Commission as well as any other
>>interested parties are welcome to attend.
>>
>>Another meeting will be scheduled for February 7th.
>>
>>So I am doing as requested, and writing to ask if any of the other
>>districts have had applications like this, and how they were resolved.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Nancy Dole
>>West Tisbury Historic District Commission
>>
>>******************************
>>For administrative questions regarding this list, please contact
>>Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us directly. PLEASE DO NOT "REPLY" TO THE
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2011 12:35:15 -0500
> From: "heartwood restoration" <jade at heartwoodrestoration.com>
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Two Feb 5th Events
> To: "Rebecca Williams" <Rebecca_Williams at nthp.org>,
> <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Message-ID: <0FB35562D95E4A218044CA0A14A08DC0 at jadePC>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> wow, this sounds like a fun day...see you there!
>
> jade mortimer
> heartwood window restoration
> hawley, ma
> 413-339-4298
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: Rebecca Williams
>  To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
>  Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 10:56 AM
>  Subject: [MassHistPres] Two Feb 5th Events
>
>
>
>
>  We Do Windows!
>
>  February 5, 8:30AM - 2:30PM
>
>  The Woodworkers Club of Norwalk (215 Westport Avenue, Norwalk, CT)
>
>  Jade Mortimer of Heartwood Window Restoration will lead an in-depth 
> workshop that will demystify window sash operation and repair. 
> Participants are invited to bring their own sash to get started on a 
> window of their own! Space is limited at this event and registration is 
> required! $75 per person registration fee includes lunch, protective gear, 
> and a copy of the Clean Air-Cool Planet book "Energy Efficiency, Renewable 
> Energy and Historic Preservation: A Guide for Historic District 
> Commissions."
>
>  Sign up at www.woodworkersclubnorwalk.com .
>
>
>
>  Hors d'oeuvres and Historic Preservation
>
>  February 5, 4PM - 5:30PM
>
>  Whole Foods Market (150 Ledge Road, Darien, CT)
>
>  Join us at this free reception to enjoy refreshments from Whole Foods 
> Market and meet experts like Christopher Wigren, Deputy Director of the 
> Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation; Rebecca Williams, Program 
> Officer in the Northeast Office of the National Trust for Historic 
> Preservation (NTHP); and Adam Markham, the President and CEO of Clean 
> Air-Cool Planet. While supplies last, attendees will also receive free 
> copies of Clean Air-Cool Planet's "Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, 
> and Historic Preservation: A Guide for Historic District Commissions."
>
>  RSVP to rsvp at cleanair-coolplanet.org.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  Rebecca Williams| Program Officer, Northeast Office
>  National Trust for Historic Preservation | Seven Faneuil Hall 
> Marketplace, 4th Floor, Boston, MA  02109
>  Phone: 617.523.0885| Fax: 617.5231199| Email: Rebecca_Williams at nthp.org | 
> www.PreservationNation.org
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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