"Emergency" Demolition in Springfield

[fsquid]

Infill

Nationally Recognized Historic Neighborhood.
Preservation.
Save the houses.

if it is nationally recognized,   what is your recourse when the city does this?

[strider]

E07-26894.000 129 2ND ST E TSRM 5/29/2007 FINALIZED Residential O/H Temp Pole

B07-24939.000 129 2ND ST E 5/17/2007 SUSPENDED Residential Single Family Alterations & Repairs

B03-69528.000 129 2ND ST E 12/30/2003 EXPIRED Residential Apartments Alterations & Repairs

E01-25926.000 129 2ND ST E 5/24/2001 FINALIZED Residential Transient, Hotel, Motel, Rooming House Existing Building

E93-47693.000 129 2ND ST E 11/12/1993 FINALIZED Residential Single Family

E90-47097.000 129 2ND ST E 12/27/1990 FINALIZED Residential 3 Or 4 Families Existing Building

The above are the official permits listed in the city data base. You will note that there is no permit for today's demolition. (FYI, when we pull and pay for a permit(they are not active or official unless they are paid for) it shows up certainly within hours if not immediately).  As a contractor, if I had done that, the license would be in jeopardy.  Mr. Daniel Grump(?), the city paid MCCD supervisor at the site today, at first told us that there was a permit, then, when confronted with what it indicated on-line, simply referred us to Ms Scott.  It seems to me that Ms. Scott thinks she and her department are above the law.

I know,  but it was an emergency!  NOT!  It has been the way it was for several years.  It was in need of additional bracing at the front porch roof, but it was not going to fall today or tomorrow.  They certainly could have waited to do it legally (24 hours?)  and yet, why should they when Ms Kimberly Scott thinks she is better than all of us and her and her minions do not have to obey the law.  Remember that we have video of one of her employees breaking and entering.  Remember that we have minutes of Nelson Baird stating for the record that MCCD would not be demolishing any historic houses in the protected historic district of Springfield unless you could literally blow them over. 

This was nothing but a very well paid department head being a 12 year old bully. And doing so at great tax payer expense.  What do you think it costs to call up a demo contractor and have them show up the same morning?

Is there any doubt that Ms. Scott does not care one bit about us tax payers or what anyone else thinks.   Seems like it is past time for a new chief of MCCD, does it not?

[carpnter]

E07-26894.000 129 2ND ST E TSRM 5/29/2007 FINALIZED Residential O/H Temp Pole

B07-24939.000 129 2ND ST E 5/17/2007 SUSPENDED Residential Single Family Alterations & Repairs

B03-69528.000 129 2ND ST E 12/30/2003 EXPIRED Residential Apartments Alterations & Repairs

E01-25926.000 129 2ND ST E 5/24/2001 FINALIZED Residential Transient, Hotel, Motel, Rooming House Existing Building

E93-47693.000 129 2ND ST E 11/12/1993 FINALIZED Residential Single Family

E90-47097.000 129 2ND ST E 12/27/1990 FINALIZED Residential 3 Or 4 Families Existing Building

The above are the official permits listed in the city data base. You will note that there is no permit for today's demolition. (FYI, when we pull and pay for a permit(they are not active or official unless they are paid for) it shows up certainly within hours if not immediately).  As a contractor, if I had done that, the license would be in jeopardy.  Mr. Daniel Grump(?), the city paid MCCD supervisor at the site today, at first told us that there was a permit, then, when confronted with what it indicated on-line, simply referred us to Ms Scott.  It seems to me that Ms. Scott thinks she and her department are above the law.

I know,  but it was an emergency!  NOT!  It has been the way it was for several years.  It was in need of additional bracing at the front porch roof, but it was not going to fall today or tomorrow.  They certainly could have waited to do it legally (24 hours?)  and yet, why should they when Ms Kimberly Scott thinks she is better than all of us and her and her minions do not have to obey the law.  Remember that we have video of one of her employees breaking and entering.  Remember that we have minutes of Nelson Baird stating for the record that MCCD would not be demolishing any historic houses in the protected historic district of Springfield unless you could literally blow them over. 

This was nothing but a very well paid department head being a 12 year old bully. And doing so at great tax payer expense.  What do you think it costs to call up a demo contractor and have them show up the same morning?

Is there any doubt that Ms. Scott does not care one bit about us tax payers or what anyone else thinks.   Seems like it is past time for a new chief of MCCD, does it not?

What do you expect from someone with a BS in Political Science and a Masters in Public Administration?

[iloveionia]

Infill

Nationally Recognized Historic Neighborhood.
Preservation.
Save the houses.

if it is nationally recognized,   what is your recourse when the city does this?

Strider says it best.  The Chief of MCCD Kimberly Scott is allowed to do what she wants and her minions follow the script she has instructed them to perform.  Chapter 518 is written allowing her opinion to supersede everything.  Everything meaning contractors, engineers, architects, historic experts, you name it.   

Recourse?  The owner of the property could have recourse.  The neighborhood organization (if it actually cared about preservation) could likely have recourse.  It my opinion, based not on fact (yet) that something was awry prior to today with this property.  I'll leave it at that for now. 

Kimberly Scott, Chief of MCCD needs to be removed from her position.  Period. 

[strider]

E07-26894.000 129 2ND ST E TSRM 5/29/2007 FINALIZED Residential O/H Temp Pole

B07-24939.000 129 2ND ST E 5/17/2007 SUSPENDED Residential Single Family Alterations & Repairs

B03-69528.000 129 2ND ST E 12/30/2003 EXPIRED Residential Apartments Alterations & Repairs

E01-25926.000 129 2ND ST E 5/24/2001 FINALIZED Residential Transient, Hotel, Motel, Rooming House Existing Building

E93-47693.000 129 2ND ST E 11/12/1993 FINALIZED Residential Single Family

E90-47097.000 129 2ND ST E 12/27/1990 FINALIZED Residential 3 Or 4 Families Existing Building

The above are the official permits listed in the city data base. You will note that there is no permit for today's demolition. (FYI, when we pull and pay for a permit(they are not active or official unless they are paid for) it shows up certainly within hours if not immediately).  As a contractor, if I had done that, the license would be in jeopardy.  Mr. Daniel Grump(?), the city paid MCCD supervisor at the site today, at first told us that there was a permit, then, when confronted with what it indicated on-line, simply referred us to Ms Scott.  It seems to me that Ms. Scott thinks she and her department are above the law.

I know,  but it was an emergency!  NOT!  It has been the way it was for several years.  It was in need of additional bracing at the front porch roof, but it was not going to fall today or tomorrow.  They certainly could have waited to do it legally (24 hours?)  and yet, why should they when Ms Kimberly Scott thinks she is better than all of us and her and her minions do not have to obey the law.  Remember that we have video of one of her employees breaking and entering.  Remember that we have minutes of Nelson Baird stating for the record that MCCD would not be demolishing any historic houses in the protected historic district of Springfield unless you could literally blow them over. 

This was nothing but a very well paid department head being a 12 year old bully. And doing so at great tax payer expense.  What do you think it costs to call up a demo contractor and have them show up the same morning?

Is there any doubt that Ms. Scott does not care one bit about us tax payers or what anyone else thinks.   Seems like it is past time for a new chief of MCCD, does it not?

What do you expect from someone with a BS in Political Science and a Masters in Public Administration?

One would hope an individual that cared about others and treated them with the same respect they themselves would ask for.  I have never seen that quality in Ms. Scott. She has done nothing but come to meetings unprepared and gone on the defensive at the drop of a hat.  Signs of someone being way over their heads and trying to hide it.  Just FYI, if she were to be removed as Chief, she would most liekly be able to go back into the ranks as she was promoted from within,  IE, she would still have a job.

[sheclown]

Sec. 518.102. - Legislative intent and findings.permanent link to this piece of content
(c)

There is a need to create a mechanism to bring most abandoned properties into productivity. Abandoned properties constitute a burden on city's resources and a waste of valuable city's assets. The city has concluded that the rehabilitation of abandoned or neglected properties is an important city objective.

(Ord. 96-458-297, § 1; Ord. 2006-1363-E, § 1; Ord. 2011-732-E)

Sec. 518.103. - Applicability.permanent link to this piece of content

(e)

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Chapter, if a structure sought to be regulated is a landmark or contributing structure located in a historic district, such regulatory efforts shall be tailored to have the least intensive impact on the structure while still furthering the intent of this Chapter.

http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=12174

[strider]

In thinking about this situation, we do have to give Ms. Scott some credit.  She was at least smart enough to know she had a lot of power made available to her and that she actually chose to wield it.   It is just unfortunate that she choose to wield it badly.

The ordinances that give her that power were, according to someone in the General Council's Office, over the DART issues â€" IE, drug related crimes and the difficulties in proving and prosecuting those crimes.  DART was, whether by choice or accident, also a great way to get rid of legal businesses you may not like, for instance, rooming houses.  MCCD was given a lot of leeway to help facilitate the DART process.  It was quickly interpreted to be much more.

Many may not remember that one has to get permission from MCCD  to enter their own property if condemned by MCCD.  As you might guess, not being allowed into your own property makes it a bit tough to repair the issues it was condemned for.  MCCD has in the past denied entry to owners, with the result of ignoring them being the threat of arrest,  though most often they simply made it very difficult on the owner by only giving permission in 10 day increments.  Largely through public outcry, they most often give at least thirty days now.   By the way, also per a source in the Office of General Council, the purpose of that part of the ordinance was to give police  the authority to arrest the possible drug dealers and users illegally using a condemned property, not denying the rights of the owners.  However, as MS. Scott has the power to interpret, she decided it would be OK to have property owners arrested for being on their own property.

This is a department out of control.  One would hope the Mayor's office would see that and perhaps eventually, they will. Meanwhile, it is up to the HPC to protect the Historic Districts from MCCD and up to the public to protect everyone else.  We do that by making it uncomfortable to MCCD to exceed common sense and to make it public when they do.  When they act like a bully, they need to be called out.  When they ignore the very laws they are supposed to help support, they need to be called out.

Perhaps the HPC can find an ordinance to wield against Ms. Scott.  After all, if Ms. Scott has the power to fix something on a historic house and does the opposite, can she not be held as being as guilty of demolition by neglect as the actual owner? In the case of this 2nd Street house, she could have had her department add bracing to the front porch years ago and chose not too.  She is just as guilty of causing the loss of another important historic structure as the owner is.

And we need to work with the city council and the Mayor's office to make permanent changes to the ordinances so the we end up with a MCCD that actually helps people instead of harming them. That helps protect the Historic Districts, as they are actually charged to do now by ordinance, rather than demolishing them.

[vicupstate]

Am I understanding this correctly:  a duly appointed board of the city, JHC, passed a motion stating that the city should take the necessary (and minimal) steps to stabilize a house but instead the city's employee (who was fully aware of said action) directed the building to be demolished the very next morning? 

If that is a correct description, why does this person still have a job?  Does she serve at the Mayor's pleasure or is she civil service?

BTW, did the property owner oppose demolition or support it?

[iloveionia]

Am I understanding this correctly:  a duly appointed board of the city, JHC, passed a motion stating that the city should take the necessary (and minimal) steps to stabilize a house but instead the city's employee (who was fully aware of said action) directed the building to be demolished the very next morning? 

If that is a correct description, why does this person still have a job?  Does she serve at the Mayor's pleasure or is she civil service?

BTW, did the property owner oppose demolition or support it?

Yes.  HPC made the REQUEST.  They don't have the authority to require MCCD to do anything.  Code's response was, nope, we are taking the house down via an emergency demolition.  As equivalent as throwing up their middle fingers.

I emailed the property owner two weeks ago but did not receive a response. 

I have also sent two letters prior, but no response. 

[fsquid]

Recourse?  The owner of the property could have recourse.  The neighborhood organization (if it actually cared about preservation) could likely have recourse.  It my opinion, based not on fact (yet) that something was awry prior to today with this property.  I'll leave it at that for now. 

What is the purpose of the neighborhood org if it is not towards preservation?  I grew up in a historic district in Memphis and the org basically was concerned with preservation and safety and that's about it.

[Bill Hoff]

Apache, if you can find a nicely renovated 2 story, 2000 sq ft house for $70k then that's a helluva deal. Most are going for between $75-$100+ sq foot, depending, these days.

To your point - you are correct. The current policy has not produced positive results.

Working to change that.

[sheclown]

Apache, if you can find a nicely renovated 2 story, 2000 sq ft house for $70k then that's a helluva deal. Most are going for between $75-$100+ sq foot, depending, these days.

To your point - you are correct. The current policy has not produced positive results.

Working to change that.

Furthermore, you can get a mothball ready (or mothballed already) house for free in some cases and in other cases for well under $20k which is less than the appraised value of the lot now on 2nd street.

Condemned houses are still a good investment.

Doing it with an eye to economy, making smart choices, you can rehab for under 100k in most cases.  Get the house for free, put in 100k, select your own kitchen and bath, and you have a "new" old house to your specifications.

Not a bad deal.

Throw in historic tax credits, with a little paperwork and you can shave 20% off of your rehab costs.  Don't need tax credits?  You can sell them.

For lack of $1000 repair, the city spent $10,000 to demolish, clogged up another section of the land fill.  Scattered lead based paint into the ground, and made a dozen house-hugging preservationists cry.

In fact, one PSOS member begged to salvage the porch columns and was denied even this little token of the house's past.

Think about that the next time a press release comes out from the city about sustainability.

[iloveionia]

To your point - you are correct. The current policy has not produced positive results.

Working to change that.

Which current policy are you speaking of Bill? 

[iloveionia]

What is the purpose of the neighborhood org if it is not towards preservation? 

Excellent question.  Bill?

[mbwright]

I would also think there would be more investment, if folks knew that the houses around them would stay put.  Who wants another La Villa, or downtown vacant parking lots that used to be vibrant areas.   A historic area, should be that, an area, not bits and pieces here and there.

How much infill is expected?  SRG and others are gone.  I never quite understood why they thought they could get $600K for a house anyway..