[MassHistPres] Demo Delay question

[slater at alum.rpi.edu]

How do other communities handle interior demolition on a property with
regards to permitting?

I have been told that, outside of Demo Delay, the City of Springfield
will deny a demolition permit if a building has not been abated and the
utilities shut off. The owner apparently does not need a building permit
to do this work. 

This sets up a situation where a property owner does substantial
interior damage to a property, shuts off the utilities, claiming that
this must be done to have a demo building permit awarded, and then
applies for the permit, at which point the demo delay kicks in.

The problem is that now the owner claims that the property is not
preferably preserved (since the interior has been damaged) and is an
actual hazard, since there are no utilities to it, leaving it an
attractive nuisance with no alarms or sprinklers or whatever. 

Do other communities require a demolition permit for interior
demolition?

Thanks,

Ralph Slate
Springfield Historical Commission 
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