(http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab165/sheclown/IMG_2697-1.jpg)
1551 Boulevard could be a Klutho, it certainly bears some remarkable interior and exterior detail. Wayne Woods's book (http://jaxhistory.com/book.htm) mentions this house as one of the more significant houses in Springfield. From its barrel tile roof, to its unique and massive rafter tails, this house pays attention to every element.
A window isn't just a window, it is a space to put 12 little pieces of glass and mullions. The inside is filled with columns and newels with intricate Klutho design.
(http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab165/sheclown/IMG_2692-1.jpg)
It is a jewel and has found a craftsman to restore it.
(http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab165/sheclown/IMG_2696-1-1.jpg)
But this new homeowner needs some help.
Last October, Ray Colon excited about his new restoration project, was working on it when he was approached by Louise DeSpain who demanded to know about his intentions.
A thread was dedicated to this a while back:
Quote[Stephendare]
I am meeting in a few minutes with Ray Colon, the owner of several UPS Stores in South Florida, including one in Wilton Manors.
He and his wife recently purchased a home in Springfield and have been working on it with the intention of growing their family.
His welcome wagon to the neighborhood was apparently as follows:
A man stopped in the middle of the street, didnt quite get out of his car, and asked him whether or not he had bought the house that he was working on. Ray briefly introduced himself and outlined his plans to the man (a perfect stranger).
Within short notice a grim faced woman showed up on his doorstep and opened a conversation thusly:
I'm Louise DeSpain, and Im in charge of SPAR, and I want to know what your intentions are with this house."
He was then informed that group homes were unwelcome and unlawful in the neighborhood.
I suppose he and his foster kids can just put that in their pipe and smoke it.
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,7177.0.html
However, Ray, a former NYC cop, is tougher than most and moved ahead with his project.
Shortly after this he discovered that his nearly purchased property was part of an ash site.
Still not deterred, Ray was able to negotiate with code enforcement and settled for $1500 in fines provided the house was finished by October of this year.
Progress was moving forward until the COA glitch.
He is a very organized man. He has shown me his files and his paperwork -- it is altogether and well documented. He didn't, however, understand the finer points of the COA process. And although he pulled three separate COAs, he didn't do any of them the way the city wanted. One clearly he messed up. He put a small regular window in instead of a multipane on a little seen spot next to the chimney. The other COA violations baffle me.
Bottom line is an $800 fine and a stop work order which will prevent him from finishing in time to please code enforcement. And he has a date with the special master next month to review his progress.
His comment: "If they would have just come out and told me what I was doing wrong, I would have fixed it. I love this house and want to do it right."
"Why is everyone so adversarial?" Ray would like to know.
Quote from: sheclown on October 14, 2010, 10:50:50 PM
"Why is everyone so adversarial?" Ray would like to know.
Why else? SPAR...
I told Ray that the city is working on a new plan for condemned properties.
He looked at me and said "you know, after that episode last year where SPAR told me that I wasn't welcome, people left little notes on my door saying 'welcome neighbor'. He said "it made me cry."
"I like it here -- I just want to be able to finish my house."
(http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab165/sheclown/IMG_2703-1.jpg)
Watched the house renovations, at least from the outside, over my weekly bike rides into Springfield for probably about a year now. That's a large house and the work has looked really good. A real credit to the neighborhood.
Those columns and that ceiling look really cool!!
(http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab165/sheclown/IMG_2693-1.jpg)
here's another shot
That house is absolutely incredible. I'm so glad it was purchased by someone who loves it.
This house will not do better than Ray Colon, a craftsman who loves it, has the skill, resources and the time necessary to do the work himself. He dreams of seeing his children playing in the yard in the house he restored.
It is time to steamroll city hall. How on earth did DeSpainintheass get to be so influential?
Why is the city such an adversarial entity? Are there developers with an eye for bulldozing springfield in favor of a new gated community?
Bucket, this is what happens when we try to get folks to do what we want using a stick and not a carrot.
The city is changing its policy as we speak. This change in policy will save the neighborhood.
But what can we do for Ray now? How can we help?
We can email the historic planning department and the commission and express our support of Ray. We can ask that the fines be waved.
HPC MEMBERS
dcase@rs-architects.com
rmoore@jaxlegelhelp.com
aschifanella@bellsouth.net
joe_thompson@gspnet.com
jennifer.mansfield@hklaw.com
lisasellsjax@gmail.com
Jerry@DZYNECONCEPTS.com
PRESERVATION OFFICE
mceachin@coj.net
sheppard@coj.net
amartina@coj.net
spaull@coj.net
We can attend the Special Master's meeting in November and request additional time for him to restore his house without penalty.
We can stop when we see him working and give him encouragement. Invite him for coffee.
We can contact Dr. Gaffney on his behalf and let him know how blessed the neighborhood is to have someone working on this house.
gaffney@coj.net
We can thank the city for reviewing its condemned structure policy and express our gratitude for its quick action. Especially Bill Killingsworth, Joel McEachin and Kimberly Scott.
billk@coj.net
mceachin@coj.net
kscott@coj.net
Well heck we can ALL do that "-)
Well, be sure to promote the date we need to be there to support him. I was in that house when it was for sale and it is incredible. But, like many homes in Springfield, it fell into hard times and needs a ton of work. Bringing that home back to its original condition will not be easy, cheap, or fast. Anyone trying to do it and do it right deserves all the time he needs and any support we can lend.
Quote from: buckethead on October 15, 2010, 06:05:35 AM
How on earth did DeSpainintheass get to be so influential?
Because she socially isolated a group of followers with debatable moral character, then took advantage of the situation.
I'm sure that, within the walls of SPAR, they had probably convinced themselves that they were doing the right thing. Or maybe not. Even now, I could be giving them too much credit. But the bottom line is that they cut themselves off from any diversity or capacity for oppositional debate, which are both needed to maintain perspective. In the absence of any dissent or opportunity for debate, they totally lost perspective and went berserk, demolishing 1/3'rd of the National Historic District they were supposed to be protecting, trying to drive out everyone who didn't share their views.
SPAR is the real-estate version of Lord of the Flies.
Listen, the historic planning department is not that difficult to work with. You have to follow the JHPC's recommendations and should. He should call Joel or Lisa or go down there and get it worked out.
Quote from: sheclown on October 15, 2010, 06:59:21 AM
We can email the historic planning department and the commission and express our support of Ray. We can ask that the fines be waved.
HPC MEMBERS
dcase@rs-architects.com
rmoore@jaxlegelhelp.com
aschifanella@bellsouth.net
joe_thompson@gspnet.com
jennifer.mansfield@hklaw.com
lisasellsjax@gmail.com
Jerry@DZYNECONCEPTS.com
PRESERVATION OFFICE
mceachin@coj.net
sheppard@coj.net
amartina@coj.net
spaull@coj.net
We can attend the Special Master's meeting in November and request additional time for him to restore his house without penalty.
We can stop when we see him working and give him encouragement. Invite him for coffee.
We can contact Dr. Gaffney on his behalf and let him know how blessed the neighborhood is to have someone working on this house.
gaffney@coj.net
We can thank the city for reviewing its condemned structure policy and express our gratitude for its quick action. Especially Bill Killingsworth, Joel McEachin and Kimberly Scott.
billk@coj.net
mceachin@coj.net
kscott@coj.net
Kay, I completely agree!
And, we should let him know how grateful we are to have him restoring this property, and let the city officials know what a great RESTORATION job he is doing (that can never hurt).
Part of the problem is that homeowners/restorers get overwhelmed and need encouragement and direction. For those of us who have been around, we understand the process and can navigate our way through.
Those who are new to this (and to Jacksonville) will not have the kind of local knowledge that makes this process logical. And to add to this the fact that code enforcement was called in the first place because of complaints, makes it disheartening to say the least.
His work is beautiful and I encourage everyone in the neighborhood to stop by and give him a kind word.
It's that simple. Be neighborly. Encourage those who are true preservationists at heart and the neighborhood will thrive.
We should absolutely support Ray and his family's efforts. JHPC and the planning department are reasonable and generally helpful. Problems occur when homeowners don't understand the procedures they are required to follow, or buy a property with no knowledge of the unique requirements for renovating in an historic district. Education is the answer.
The City recently began mailing information on the Certificate of Appropriateness process to new homeowners AFTER closing of their properties. That's an improvement, but not enough.
It is essential that prospective homeowners are notified of the intricacies of living and renovating in an historic district before they sign a contract for purchase of an historic home. Some realtors provide that information, but not all. City Council should require a disclosure for every transaction involving an historic property.
The city was quick to put ash notices on the property record cards but there is nothing on the records to indicate that a home is in a historic district. And since many homes are bought at auction or from the owner, there isn't always a Realtor involved to explain what the restrictions are (and many who don't sell in the historic districts on a regular basis don't know any way). Why can't there be a tag on the property record cards that links to more info on the historic district rules and regs?
From what I've heard, in the past, real estate professionals who knew about them were reluctant to notify potential buyers of historic district requirements prior to sale because they were afraid it would scare off too many buyers. I guess that's good for business, but probably makes for some unhappy buyers when they find out the truth. Especially if they don't find it out until AFTER they've had a run in with the HPC. Then it makes the HPC and the historic district look like the bad guys. People are upset, and rightfully so.
That said, many, I'd even venture to say most, real estate agents are not even educated on historic districts and their unique requirements.
Buyer beware. That's why we have real estate attorneys.
From what I know so far, this is very much an issue with the guy not quite understanding the entire process. He has COA's, so he has a conversation with the people down in the Historic Department and they tell him how they would like to see something handled or done. He thinks that is enough and has done what he needed to do. He did not realize he still had to go get another COA.
The result is probably more of another type of mis-communication rather than intentional hindering. So, yes, with a bit of help, this will be resolved in a satisfactory way.
I don't know if notification on the property record cards would help things. But I AM working on an educational program for Realtors about selling in historic districts and selling historic homes.
A person needs to know what s/he is getting into before s/he buys!
Currently, if he were to get discouraged and leave, then city would brand him as an absentee owner and fine the crap out of him, the house gets put on the Formal Track to demolition and the city tears it down. The sum total of the rolling fines and eventually the $20k demo lien splash over onto everything else he owns in town.
Welcome to the Hotel California.
Take a risk and restore?
Not likely given the current policy -- thank God the city is reviewing its condemned structures policy!
In the meantime, let's give a little love and understanding to those brave souls out there doing it and encourage them to keep on restoring.
QuoteBuyer beware. That's why we have real estate attorneys.
If I did business like that, I would have went bankrupt during the real estate crash like many of my peers did. In my young life, I have fortunately learned that sacrificing long term relationships for short term gains will only serve to ruin you in the end.
Quote from: fieldafm on October 17, 2010, 04:57:22 PM
QuoteBuyer beware. That's why we have real estate attorneys.
If I did business like that, I would have went bankrupt during the real estate crash like many of my peers did. In my young life, I have fortunately learned that sacrificing long term relationships for short term gains will only serve to ruin you in the end.
I don't fully understand fieldafm's response, but agree with the suggestion in the post he quotes that this thread supports the need for attorney involvement in real estate transactions. I would certainly counsel my clients about the pros and cons of purchasing in an historic district. Unfortunately, most real estate transactions today are never reviewed by an attorney, and many title companies do little if anything to explain the various exceptions and encumbrances affecting property. That's why a legally mandated disclosure regarding historic status is necessary.
QuoteI would certainly counsel my clients about the pros and cons of purchasing in an historic district. Unfortunately, most real estate transactions today are never reviewed by an attorney, and many title companies do little if anything to explain the various exceptions and encumbrances affecting property.
... Is exactly right. Many realtors gloss over or avoid the topic alltogether.
QuoteBuyer beware. That's why we have real estate attorneys.
Sentiments like this... 'well, I did what I was supposed to do, so if the borrower didnt know to go above and beyond what real estate
professionals are telling them to do, oh well' is what Im referring to.
First time homeowners and even MOST experienced buyers don't know a hill of beans about the process. They rely on what their realtor tells them.
Being a professional is more about collecting a check. Its also about making sure your client is properly educated and comfortable with the transaction they are making with you. Most 'professionals' do the bare minimum as required by law in the form of disclosures that most clients dont even read anyway... but to me, thats not the way to do business.
In my experience, clients don't know the value of the extra cost associated with having a real estate attorney present in the transaction b/c their not properly educated on what a r/e attorney actually brings to the table. All they know is its going to cost them x amount of dollars more, but think the realtor is giving them all the advice they need so its just an extra cost that isn't worth it.
I agree, fieldafm. My point is if you don't hire a real estate attorney to represent your interests in the deal you will be the only one involved who is only looking out for you and who doesn't have some conflicting interest.
FYI, I am not an attorney. I wish they were much less necessary than they are.
I have met Ray, and agree that he is doing amazing work and hope he will succeed. While I do agree with the comments that you should not trust a real estate agent and do your own research, I don't think this is the problem in this case. As far as I know, Ray was aware that his house was located and a historic district, and that he had to file for certain permits. The problem was that there was nobody to help him. SPAR always advertises that they do provide this service and in the past they have done so. But in this case, he wasn't exactly looking for SPAR for help after the welcome he got from Louise. In particular in a complicated case like his, I would have hoped that the city assists the home owner to some extend and tells him what to do, instead of just waiting for him to slip up and make mistakes.
Proactive rather than reactive is a good policy.
Quote from: iloveionia on October 18, 2010, 05:00:19 PM
Proactive rather than reactive is a good policy.
You Springfielders need to get that booklet you were talking about into high gear.............SPAR Council is waste of oxygen,Gaffney is useless, but the neighborhood is allready banding together........just one more step kids!
At the risk of getting bashed, the historic staff usually gives you more help than you want. My eyes have glazed over when we are at hearings listening to the same case 4 mos. in a row. The SPAR bashing is a little old also, as people always give RAP kudos for demanding correct restorations but then expects SPAR to fall down and help people do whatever they want. The Historic staff is very clear when they put stipulations in COAs. The window stipulations are always the same-windows must match the original style when it is known, must be the same size, must recess into the opening, instead of fitting flush like it's more contemporary counterparts and must have exterior muntins. The problem is homeowners getting COAs thinking that will put them in compliance but then not following the stipulations in the COAs. I was in that house before it sold and it was beautiful. The original trim, windows, doors and fireplaces were all intact and in good shape. I remember this case, it was not heard by the commission but approved administratively. I was very sad because the original doors with beveled glass (one on 7th , one on Blvd.) stayed intact for 100 years, even when it was empty for well over a year recently. After it was purchased both doors had their lock sets cut out rendering them useless in the owners eyes and he wanted to replace them with new. He said they were cut by a thief. I don't know the facts but I always thought it strange that a thief would cut out two lock sets fronting major streets when they could just have easily broken a window or door on the back side. the original windows on the 7th street side were replaced with new smaller ones instead of being repaired also. I think it's great that people are helping the owner but that help should be focused on getting him into compliance not asking people in planning to bend the rules. Continually begging for forgiveness instead of asking permission just weakens the districts. Think about how hard people are fighting to stop the demos in defense of the district, enforcing correct restoration is no different.
Quote from: Springfield Girl on October 24, 2010, 10:57:09 AM
At the risk of getting bashed, the historic staff usually gives you more help than you want. My eyes have glazed over when we are at hearings listening to the same case 4 mos. in a row. The SPAR bashing is a little old also, as people always give RAP kudos for demanding correct restorations but then expects SPAR to fall down and help people do whatever they want. The Historic staff is very clear when they put stipulations in COAs. The window stipulations are always the same-windows must match the original style when it is known, must be the same size, must recess into the opening, instead of fitting flush like it's more contemporary counterparts and must have exterior muntins. The problem is homeowners getting COAs thinking that will put them in compliance but then not following the stipulations in the COAs. I was in that house before it sold and it was beautiful. The original trim, windows, doors and fireplaces were all intact and in good shape. I remember this case, it was not heard by the commission but approved administratively. I was very sad because the original doors with beveled glass (one on 7th , one on Blvd.) stayed intact for 100 years, even when it was empty for well over a year recently. After it was purchased both doors had their lock sets cut out rendering them useless in the owners eyes and he wanted to replace them with new. He said they were cut by a thief. I don't know the facts but I always thought it strange that a thief would cut out two lock sets fronting major streets when they could just have easily broken a window or door on the back side. the original windows on the 7th street side were replaced with new smaller ones instead of being repaired also. I think it's great that people are helping the owner but that help should be focused on getting him into compliance not asking people in planning to bend the rules. Continually begging for forgiveness instead of asking permission just weakens the districts. Think about how hard people are fighting to stop the demos in defense of the district, enforcing correct restoration is no different.
Hinder not help, typical SPAR attitude...
What are you doing on the HPC anyway? You didn't object when your backbiting little group caused the demolition of hundreds of historic structures, but now you want to hassle this guy who's doing a hundred thousand dollar renovation and accuse him of lying over some door locks?
Yeah, clearly you've got the bigger picture in perspective.
Ok, lets review this again. The Historic Planning STAFF (the paid professionals) works with owners who apply for a COA. They go over guidelines and explain what must be done and why. They put the stipulations in writing and an owner must agree to said stipulations to obtain the COA. The enforcement officer follows up to make sure the correct changes are being made. If the COA is followed all is good and everyone is happy. If the owner does not follow the guidelines and chooses to ignore the stipulations set by the Historic Planning STAFF (the paid professionals) the work can be stopped and owners fined and made to undo the unauthorized work. I don't know the details of how the fines work or if they are waived if the the unauthorized work is reversed. This is handled by the city and their employees and the commission is not involved in this. You can't have it both ways, either you want the historic designation and the protection it provides or you dissolve it and let people do whatever they want to their properties.
I have the citations for this property given to the owner by HPC. I also have the COA. It appears as though the citations were given without written warning. Verbal maybe, but not written. It also appears the COA covers work
done. Again, appears.
I am interested in knowing what the process is for giving citations. You know, what's step 1, step 2, etc. I know Ray went to HPC (their office) for guidance. I wonder if anyone ever came to his home and walked him through the "do's and dont's"?
I do know in this case HPC received an anonymous complaint. HPC was not driving around searching.
I've talked to Ray personally and continue to communicate. Anyone else I wonder?
I don't ask and won't ask for bending of rules. I do ask for help, support, and genuine kindness. Which in my humble opinion I don't think this gentleman has received. Thankfully he's still here and hasn't abandoned his home.
I will continue to research and get the facts from HPC (yes, I have emailed and communicated with the right people in that office,) and the owner. Help, not hinder. That's all. Thank God people still invest in Springfield. We need to exude love and friendship. We need to get people to come and then most importantly get them to stay.
Help, not hinder.
Typical SPAR attitude, about how it's all the guy's own fault for failing to follow the rules;
Quote from: Springfield Girl on October 24, 2010, 12:11:20 PM
Ok, lets review this again. The Historic Planning STAFF (the paid professionals) works with owners who apply for a COA. They go over guidelines and explain what must be done and why. They put the stipulations in writing and an owner must agree to said stipulations to obtain the COA. The enforcement officer follows up to make sure the correct changes are being made. If the COA is followed all is good and everyone is happy. If the owner does not follow the guidelines and chooses to ignore the stipulations set by the Historic Planning STAFF (the paid professionals) the work can be stopped and owners fined and made to undo the unauthorized work. I don't know the details of how the fines work or if they are waived if the the unauthorized work is reversed. This is handled by the city and their employees and the commission is not involved in this. You can't have it both ways, either you want the historic designation and the protection it provides or you dissolve it and let people do whatever they want to their properties.
And obviously, now we have the real story, which always comes out in these situations, where it turns out what really happened is that SPAR and its minion on the HPC are busting someone's chops when he didn't realize he wasn't following the rules that he didn't even know existed, and that nobody bothered to tell him about;
Quote from: iloveionia on October 24, 2010, 12:24:16 PM
I have the citations for this property given to the owner by HPC. I also have the COA. It appears as though the citations were given without written warning. Verbal maybe, but not written. It also appears the COA covers work
done. Again, appears.
I am interested in knowing what the process is for giving citations. You know, what's step 1, step 2, etc. I know Ray went to HPC (their office) for guidance. I wonder if anyone ever came to his home and walked him through the "do's and dont's"?
I do know in this case HPC received an anonymous complaint. HPC was not driving around searching.
I've talked to Ray personally and continue to communicate. Anyone else I wonder?
I don't ask and won't ask for bending of rules. I do ask for help, support, and genuine kindness. Which in my humble opinion I don't think this gentleman has received. Thankfully he's still here and hasn't abandoned his home.
I will continue to research and get the facts from HPC (yes, I have emailed and communicated with the right people in that office,) and the owner. Help, not hinder. That's all. Thank God people still invest in Springfield. We need to exude love and friendship. We need to get people to come and then most importantly get them to stay.
So like I said, typical SPAR, with its "hinder, not help" attitude.
Well maybe the SOS organization can take the place of the SPAR Council? That would probably be best for all of Springfield in the long run since the SPAR agenda and Springfields agenda are two really different things!
SOS works with other organizations. We don't try to take their place. We play nice with others.
Quote from: Debbie Thompson on October 25, 2010, 01:57:35 PM
SOS works with other organizations. We don't try to take their place. We play nice with others.
"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." And Debbie, you are a blessed peacemaker.
(http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab165/sheclown/HPCsept28001.jpg)
Springfield, a Nationally Recognized Historic District, has an agenda...preservation.
All efforts, whether it is a moratorium on demolitions or encouraging appropriate restorations, should work toward that goal.
Lisa Simon has absolutely no business being on the HPC, and needs to step down.
SPAR and its members (including Lisa Simon) have fully demonstrated that they do not value preservation.
spar may finally be turning the tide, as they've seen that the people of the neighborhood are not going to allow spar to allow and promote demolitions. It's my hope that the new ED knows that what happened under the direction of DeSpain, is not acceptable now...the destruction she enabled and asked for caused our neighborhood to lose so many structures, and spar allowed that to happen. Now there is the SOS group that has virtually come out of nowhere and demos came to a screeching halt and the city, HPC and everyone else sees that things have to be handled differently.
Speaking of having agendas...I agree, that there are people who need to remove themselves from the positions they hold, and one of them should be Claude...he's been sitting in that position too long and has not spoken truth as to what the actual community wants. He is one of the reasons as to why I will not join spar, new board members or not, he's still there.
Quote from: urbanlibertarian on October 18, 2010, 01:58:22 PM
I agree, fieldafm. My point is if you don't hire a real estate attorney to represent your interests in the deal you will be the only one involved who is only looking out for you and who doesn't have some conflicting interest.
FYI, I am not an attorney. I wish they were much less necessary than they are.
You know, when I was recommending using a real estate attorney, I meant someone more scrupulous than this guy:
http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2010-10-26/story/jacksonville-attorney-held-500000-bail-real-estate-scheme
On a serious note. The owner has contacted a local attorney to speak for him at his hearing next week, but he has not received a response.
He needs an attorney and will pay for the services.
Please email me someone you recommend that is familiar with Historic Springfield so that I may forward information.
nicolelopez89@yahoo.com
and thank you in advance.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/set-for-a-life-of-leisure-couple-instead-1058995.html?cxtype=rss_news
^This is Ray, owner of 1551 Boulevard. How lucky we are to have him in our community. And shame on anyone who thought otherwise.
QuoteWEST PALM BEACH â€" Raul Colon retired three years ago intent on playing lots of golf. His children were grown, as were his grandchildren.
Then the former U.S. Customs and Border Protection supervisor and his wife, Maria, became foster parents to a boy named Adrian, now 4.
"We just fell in love with him," said Colon, 66.
Later, Adrian's sisters, who were in other foster homes, met the Colons.
"We knew they needed to be together," Colon said.
And Friday, at the annual National Adoption Day celebration at the Palm Beach County courthouse, they sealed the deal. The Pompano Beach couple officially adopted Adrian, 10-year-old Samantha and 6-year-old Natalie.
"This is our gift," Colon said. "God sent them to us."
It is the happiest day of the year at the courthouse, with adoption workers dressed in red, giant "Congratulations" cakes, clowns and magicians perfoming where foreclosed homes usually are auctioned off - and children placed in forever homes.
Steve Bardy, executive director of the Children's Home Society, again donned his borrowed ruby-red sportcoat, looking more like a movie-theater attendant than administrator. And the judges Â- Juvenile Court Judge Ronald Alvarez hauled himself out of a sickbed not to miss it - donned red sashes over their robes on what is a clearly joyous day for them as well.
"Ok, Mom, you're in the delivery room and it's coming," Circuit Judge Kathleen Kroll said to Maria Colon as the judge was about to sign the final papers. "Congratulations."
In another courtroom, another family stepped up. Teacher Andy Matzkow, 62, and his wife of 41 years, Barbara, adopted their 4-year-old grandson, Kyle. Seated with them was their 17-year-old grandson, Evan, whom they are adopting in two weeks.
Juvenile Court Judge Karen Martin asked Kyle what his new name will be.
"SpongeBob," he said.
"I've been parenting my whole life," said Matzkow, who runs the orchestral strings program at Palm Beach Public school. "Kids are a big, big part of my life."
The state Department of Childen and Families has increased efforts to get kids out of foster care and into permanent, loving homes.
But some are still waiting. Currently, there are 49 children available for adoption in Palm Beach County, said Perry Borman, Southeast Regional Director for the Department of Children and Families.
The Colon's adoption of three children is remarkable for two reasons, said adoption workers. First, a group of three siblings could be placed together. And second, a couple set for a life of leisure so willingly opened their home and hearts.
And how has that been? Going from Par 3 to three kids in one shot?
"Exciting," said Colon, grimacing and smiling, "Different!"
"I have a great set of clubs. I just haven't been able to use them."
susan_spencer_wendel@pbpost.com
Do not neglect to show kindness to strangers; for, in this way, some, without knowing it, have had angels as their guests.
Hebrews 13:2
QuoteChris Farley » Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:00 am
The matter of the beautiful tile roof being removed from 1551 Boulevard (after the HPC had denied permission to remove) will be on the agenda of a meeting in the Ed Ball Building 214 N. Hogan, 1st floor, on Tuesday Sept 23rd 2014. The meeting starts at 10am, but as yet we do not know where this matter is on the agenda. The city is asking that the roof be restored.
While I do not agree with how this was done, I do understand where the owner was coming from. The frustration at dealing with the often short sighted bureaucracy of preservation is often very high. In the not too distant past, ten minute conversations would be had over the demolition of a house in Springfield and 45 minutes on the window placement in a new construction house. The age old expression "can't see the forest for the trees" comes to mind.
The owner of this house did indeed go to the commission over his roof some time ago. He took the information on his roof with the expectation of getting help and guidance. The cost of a new or totally renovated barrel tile roof was scary high. He had information on alternative products that gave the appearance of a new tile roof but the Commission refused those alternatives.
This put the owner in a bad situation. He could not afford to replace the roof under those conditions. And yet, as we all know, you can eventually lose the house for the want of a roof. Fortunately we did not in this case. It does appear that it needed a roof bad enough that he could no longer wait. So the owner, whether you agree with his choice of materials or not, chose to protect the house.
Barrel tile roofs are perhaps the longest lasting roofs we can have. And while the tile themselves can last hundreds of years, the fasteners do not and so it becomes a matter of removing, inspecting and cataloging each existing tile, finding matching replacement tiles or just replacing them all. Today the roof deck once secured and repaired, would have to be sealed and then the tiles refastened. In theory then you would have a roof that could last 300 years. In practice, as many have seen, about 100 years with luck.
So, yes, it is a loss to lose the significant feature of the tile roof on this grand house. But we still have the house. And who knows, perhaps when the next roof is needed, the funds will be there to restore that great feature.
Because frankly, you must first have the trees to be able to see the forest.
Did this owner not follow the rules? Yes. But at this point, what is the cost to the house, the real reason we have a Historic District, to get it changed today? Is there not some middle ground to be reached here? For the sake of the house.
You have got to be kidding me. This is still going on? I had just moved here just before the first post in this thread. Has the homeowner been living here all this time and it is still not settled? Freakin' unbelievable.
The issue is, I believe, that it is very easy to say you have to spend those big bucks when you are not the one spending it. Heck, a year or so ago in Springfield, a VP of SPAR tried to get it set up so that if you did not want to put on the 3 to 4 times the expense metal shingles on a roof, you had to go before the commission and hope they gave you permission for a less expensive roof. This because the houses mostly originally had metal shingles and so you needed to preserve that look of metal shingles. The normal trend today is to have metal, 5 v or standing seam OK or a grey color shingle per state guidelines. The ironic thing? The person pushing for this put regular old asphalt shingles on her own house.
Frankly, I think if I were the owner of this house, I would say that the asphalt shingles were a temporary roof to preserve the house until he could afford the 5 to 6 times the cost of the barrel roof. You can do some things on a temporary basis to protect the building even if it is not exactly strictly kosher with the guidelines. Hey, if the guy can save 5K a year for the next ten years, he could get that new tile roof they want him to have.
While I am a preservationist, I also believe in common sense. Requiring anyone to do something that is too expensive to reasonably justify in today's market is one reason why there are many houses sitting abandoned. We lost several in the resent years because they were abandoned after the HPC insisted on certain criteria. In some cases, the HPC was very justified and the blames goes elsewhere. But in a few, had the HPC been a bit more flexible, we would have a lived in house rather than an empty lot or abandoned building.
The structure is the skeleton of a house. In the case of these old ladies, the skeleton is stronger than most would ever imagine. The things like the windows and doors and even the roof materials, those things are the cosmetic equivalents of hair and finger nails. They can be changed easily. In fact, because people really have not changed all the much though the decades, many house have been added onto and updated as people's needs changed. It is far better to lose a tile roof or a window or a front door than lose the entire house. Those windows can change again in 20 years, that roof in 15 and a door in just a few years. What someone can't afford today, perhaps they can tomorrow. That's why it is important to have some flexibility to accommodate the individual needs. That way the house gets to be a home - because it is those that live in the house that give it it's heart. Not the window or doors or the roof itself. It is also that heart that will enable the house to live on for many generations.
If I did not have inflexible business commitments tomorrow I would go to this meeting and speak up for common sense. Hopefully, someone will.
the house in question:
(http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g374/sheclown2/raycolon.jpg) (http://s1098.photobucket.com/user/sheclown2/media/raycolon.jpg.html)
I know this house well. It is beautiful inside. The roof is pretty decent, and barrel tile is expensive. I'm glad someone who cares owns it. I wish him luck. The HPC can be totally ridiculous at times.
A fact I think is important here is that he took alternative materials that gave the appearance of barrel tiles and got told no. They were actually pretty nice metal shingles that were formed to look like the tiles and covered in a sand texture. I believe they were about half the cost of the real barrel tiles. I also believe it was like 2 years ago? So I expect that the asphalt shingles were more in response to a need rather than just a "in your face i'm doing what I want" reaction.
This is not the first time something like this has happened. The HPC, like Code Compliance, has the power to fine. Rolling fines of between $50.00 and $ 500.00 per day as well as set amounts per violation.
There was an alternative to getting around the HPC decision. Those decisions can be appealed to City Council. I do not know if this owner tried that.
I think this is bad situation for the city. Yes, this owner went against the findings of the HPC. Yes, he put the "wrong" roof on his house. But he did it in a way that tells me he tried to find a way to do what the HPC wanted him to do but in the end, elected to protect his house in the best way he could. So how do you tell him he was wrong when he was also right in the end?
So we talked to the Historic Department folks and the owner did take the idea of the cheap three tab to the HPC since he took the metal barrel type roof and got denied so a bit more in your face than what I thought. He is going to Special Masters today and more than likely will get fined. I still stand behind the idea the the HPC should have approved the alternative materials to start with. If they had, I wonder if we would talking about this issue today?
It still looks much better than a blue tarp, and much better than water coming in, and doing damage.
QuoteThe hearing was this morning at 10 am. Mr. Colon was given 45 days to perform work per COA-12-409. " The new roof shall be a tile roof that reuses the existing tiles and incorporates new tile, where necessary. Any new replacement tiles shall replicate the original in design, color, and texture:.
Quote from: sheclown on September 23, 2014, 05:52:22 PM
QuoteThe hearing was this morning at 10 am. Mr. Colon was given 45 days to perform work per COA-12-409. " The new roof shall be a tile roof that reuses the existing tiles and incorporates new tile, where necessary. Any new replacement tiles shall replicate the original in design, color, and texture:.
COA 12-409 is where he went before the commission and asked for the alternative materials that would keep the appearance of the tile roof. I believe the repairs/ replacement of the tile roof is something like double the cost of the alternative materials and I'm sure that the roof he put on it is a small percentage of even the faux tile roof.
By the way, while it is OK to reuse the tiles, it is more expensive in some ways as each must be removed, cleaned and inspected before they are reattached. It is actually more work that just using all new.
What's interesting here is that the Special Master is enforcing a never used COA that is over one year old. (COA's are good for only one year...though you can ask for them to be renewed.)
I am a bit curious why he was given 45 days. Did he ask for time? Did they just give it as a matter of course? It is pretty obvious that if the owner could afford the tile roof, he would have done it to start with.
I see this as a dilemma for both the city and the community. How far do you take the enforcement when someone can not afford to keep what has become an outrageously expensive feature. Especially when they city denied an affordable and very good quality compromise.