[MassHistPres] Are there any successful 'demolition by neglect'bylaws?

[Anne Louro]

New Bedford, like Worcester also has a "nuisance" ordinance that
operates as a "demo-by-neglect" law. A community needs these types of
tools in order to combat blight in neighborhoods and loss of significant
historic structures.  Unfortunately you cannot rely on the good faith of
a property owner to do the right thing. A strong ordinance and
consistent enforcement will do the job for you. I suggest looking at
other communities ordinances as a model. Like demo-delay ordinances, the
nuisance ordinances are pretty consistent in their language.

 

From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
[mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of SCeccacci at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2011 7:02 AM
To: dbibel at verizon.net; masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Are there any successful 'demolition by
neglect'bylaws?

 

The City of Worcester has a "nuisance" ordinance, which works as a
demolition by neglect ordinance.  Including daily fines, it was used
successfully in a case of a building included on Preservation
Worcester's Most Endangered List a couple of years ago.  The owner
decided to sell rather than to repair the building, which has since been
restored and sold to a new owner.

 

You may read the ordinance on this link:

 

http://www.worcesterma.gov/uploads/be/6e/be6ec0e1b2459ab1cd0597c56238618
6/nuisance-ordinance.pdf

 

 

Susan McDaniel Ceccacci

Architectural Historian

Jefferson, Massachusetts

 

 

 

In a message dated 6/1/2011 6:36:48 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
dbibel at verizon.net writes:

	Here's the situation:  A private school moved into town.  They
have done 
	some good things to their property, but one of the buildings
they own, 
	the Jacob Cushman house, has been neglected and is in poor
shape.  The 
	Historical Commission has contacted the school, sent  letters,
met with 
	one of their Trustees - all in an effort to explain the
historical 
	significance of the building.  We've suggested some low cost
options to 
	reduce continued damage (cut down the vines creeping up the
walls, 
	properly seal the damaged windows) to no apparent effect.
	
	Some members of our Commission have suggested writing to the
various 
	members of their Board of Trustees; others have suggested
informational 
	pickets; and one has suggested the development of a 'demolition
by 
	neglect' bylaw.
	
	(I should mention that the school successfully restored an
adjacent 
	property - the William Chenery House, also an historic building,
and has 
	rented it out.  We congratulated the school for their adaptive
reuse in 
	this case)
	
	I wonder if there have been successful demo by neglect bylaws or

	statutes -- a concern that has been raised is dealing with
property 
	owners who neglect their property due to financial hardship (the
school 
	in question here does plead hardship, although it is  not
apparent from 
	their buildings and grounds).
	
	Any examples or case studies (pro or con) would be greatly
appreciated.
	
	Daniel Bibel
	Co-chair
	Medfield Historical Commission
	
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