[MassHistPres] Demolition Request

[Marcia Starkey]

Under a demolition delay bylaw should this building demolition had review?
Marcia Starkey, Greenfield HC

 

From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
[mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Paul Bourdon
Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 3:12 PM
To: cvwtc at aol.com; masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Demolition Request

 

A good point may be to make sure the building inspector understands the
significance of the building and efforts being made to secure it.


On 1/26/11 3:00 PM, "cvwtc at aol.com" <cvwtc at aol.com> wrote:

Approving of their hardship would also teach others looking to rid
themselves of historic properties to defer on maintenance until a structure
becomes unsafe and needs to be torn down.

We've had a couple of examples of that happening in Beverly, most notably
the Washington-Beedle School.  Before preservationists even had a chance to
advocate for this city-owned property, it was suddenly determined to be
"structurally unsafe" so it was torn down almost overnight to make room for
a Walgreens.  Laws governing historic preservation can always be bypassed if
a structure is deemed unsafe and once a structure is gone, there's no way to
obtain a second opinion.  Your group needs to strongly oppose a demolition
hardship if the integrity of your district is to be maintained.  It would
also set the proper tone.

Has a community ever given the owners of an historic property a tax-break to
stimulate renovation?  It seems like many city councils have no problem
giving sustained and significant property tax reductions to wealthy
developers when they come before City Hall to pitch a project.

Matt Pujo     



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