1325 Laura -- demolition hearing at HPC

[iloveionia]

There was a STRONG and large showing of neighborhood preservationists.  The commission stood their ground and demanded the owner show next time and provde due diligence in their requests.

Hoo Rah.

[iloveionia]

The JHPC meeting is 5/25/11 and as promised, 1325 is up again for demolition and on the agenda.
The commission requested the owner of the property show up and speak himself.

If you can't attend the meeting you can show your support of demoliton PREVENTION by emailing the JHPC commissioners, or the HPC staff.

[Debbie Thompson]

Please email.  Don't hold your comment planning to comment at the next meeting, as you may not be allowed to speak.    Please try and attend to show support, and wear your Springfield or RAP t-shirts. :-) 

But please email anyway.  As I recall, there is no public comment planned at the 5/25 meeting.  There was a strong showing at the last one.  It was recommended that the public comment portion be closed, and HPC asked the owner's attorney to have the owner come speak for himself.

[iloveionia]

gaffney@coj.net
dcase@rs-architects.com
mansfield@comcast.net
joe_thompson@gspnet.com
johnallmand@gmail.com
sheppard@coj.net
amartina@coj.net
mceachin@coj.net

Preservation SOSs email sent today in opposition of the proposed demolition:

Preservation SOS vehemently opposes the demolition of 1325 Laura Street.

1.  This owner purchased 5 properties in a jumbo deal in February of 2003 for a total of $225,000.  In 2003, all 5 properties were habitable and lived in.

2.  Since 2003 only 1 of the homes has been rehabbed and is currently listed on the MLS for over $600,000.  Completely asinine.  The 1 home that was rehabbed was completely gutted and little, if no architectural details remain on the inside (staircase and one mantel.)

3.  The other remaining 3 homes have all been gutted as well (by Dr. Florete) and left to deteriorate.

4.  Since 2003, 1 of the homes has been demolished.  Dr. Florete made the same promise then he is trying to make now:  "Let me demolish this one, then I can restore the others." 

5.  Dr. Florete has the financial means to rehab the properties he purchased, and any "damage" to 1325 Laura Street, he knowingly committed and created himself.

Please.  You can not allow the demolition of this property to occur.  It is not fair to our historic neighborhood to continually demolish.  I am still astounded that demolition is even discussed and practiced in Springfield's Nationally Recognized Historic Neighborhood.  Dr. Florete's complete disregard for the neighbors of Laura Street and the community of Springfield is completely unacceptable.

[Springfield Chicken]

Just sent this off to the powers that be:

It seems that the criteria for demolition by neglect has been met by this owner.  He has allowed this property to deteriorate to a point he feels he can justify tearing it down.  This practice must be stopped.  And the penalty for such actions must be severe enough to prevent it becoming even more common.

In real estate I see a lot of people who have unrealistic plans and ideas that they go into half-cocked and the results are disastrous.  In this case the owner’s “vision” is to basically duplicate what he saw done by other builders during the boom years â€" put up new construction at high profit margins and sit back and collect.

However, we are not in the boom years.  The seller has demonstrated no time line for his vision, no business plan, no pricing structure, no feasibility study that would make this a doable idea.  Instead he wants the city to help him in his march toward his “vision” without backing it up with facts and plans.

Allowing him to get away with this sets a very dangerous precedent that can only mean more owners will try and succeed at this same plan. 

To “side” with the seller would be to allow bad behavior and irresponsible actions to rule.  Not only should this demolition request be denied, the seller needs to be penalized so that he is not allowed to do this again.

And when this comes before the next HPC meeting, the public deserves to be heard in response to anything the seller or his minions try to pull.

Thanks!

[urbaknight]

Just sent this off to the powers that be:

It seems that the criteria for demolition by neglect has been met by this owner.  He has allowed this property to deteriorate to a point he feels he can justify tearing it down.  This practice must be stopped.  And the penalty for such actions must be severe enough to prevent it becoming even more common.

In real estate I see a lot of people who have unrealistic plans and ideas that they go into half-cocked and the results are disastrous.  In this case the owner’s “vision” is to basically duplicate what he saw done by other builders during the boom years â€" put up new construction at high profit margins and sit back and collect.

However, we are not in the boom years.  The seller has demonstrated no time line for his vision, no business plan, no pricing structure, no feasibility study that would make this a doable idea.  Instead he wants the city to help him in his march toward his “vision” without backing it up with facts and plans.

Allowing him to get away with this sets a very dangerous precedent that can only mean more owners will try and succeed at this same plan. 

To “side” with the seller would be to allow bad behavior and irresponsible actions to rule.  Not only should this demolition request be denied, the seller needs to be penalized so that he is not allowed to do this again.

And when this comes before the next HPC meeting, the public deserves to be heard in response to anything the seller or his minions try to pull.

Thanks!

Let us know what their reply is, if they even do reply.

[iloveionia]

The powers that be won't reply.  However these emails are copied and are part of the file for 1325 Lauara in HPC and are part of the "evidence" in the hearings.

Their "reply" is in how they respond at next week's HPC meeting. 

Last meeting, a strong community showing, support for it's preservation, and continued letters caused HPC to make demands of the property owner and defer the request for demolition.

This go around, we would like the request for demolition to be denied.

[Springfield Chicken]

Sunshine laws don't allow them to reply but I do know they get read and considered.  And it matters to them that they have the support of the community when they are willing to go to the mattresses on something like this where you have an owner's attorney making veiled threats.

[sheclown]

As many of you know, 1325 Laura is up for another demolition hearing this Wednesday at the HPC meeting.  This will be the 4th time it has been heard in as many months.

Last month we were offered an opportunity to view the inside of the structure by the general contractor who was acting as the owner's agent for the purposes of this meeting.  I have emailed and called and have not been given permission, as of yet, to enter the property.

Joel and Tom Goldsbury both have been inside this house and have concluded that it is not in imminent danger of collapsing as the doctor would like us to believe.

The commissioners seem, at this point, to be leaning toward denying the demolition request; however, they want to hear from the doctor, personally. 

I have no idea if he will show or what they will agree to do after he speaks.  I have no idea if Preservation SOS will be allowed access to inspect the interior.

We will just see what happens.

[BigGuy219]

It seems like this is a common occurence in Springfield. I don't live there, and truthfully, I've never spent any time there either.

Can someone explain why so many of your homes are being demolished? I read this entire thread and I still don't see anything in terms of motive.

What does the owner stand to gain by having the structure demolished? It seems, if I'm reading this write, there are many individuals and entities buying up homes, neglecting them, and then having them demolished ... but why?

[Timkin]

BG  we live in a city where to many good people , Historic preservation is important, but to some, particularly in  City Management , the regard for history is nix.  You would not believe how many beautiful structures have ended up a pile of rubble..   Springfield has lost significant amounts of historic homes and buildings. 

It is my hope that as we embark on a new administration, combined efforts will help immensely to curtail this .. we have lost far too much already, and we really cannot afford to lose our historic fabric..  In Springfield, the efforts of the residents , and the SOS (Save our Springfield) effort, is fighting to keep these places .

[BigGuy219]

BG  we live in a city where to many good people , Historic preservation is important, but to some, particularly in  City Management , the regard for history is nix.  You would not believe how many beautiful structures have ended up a pile of rubble..   Springfield has lost significant amounts of historic homes and buildings. 

It is my hope that as we embark on a new administration, combined efforts will help immensely to curtail this .. we have lost far too much already, and we really cannot afford to lose our historic fabric..  In Springfield, the efforts of the residents , and the SOS (Save our Springfield) effort, is fighting to keep these places .

Timkin. I think I understand the city's role in approving the demolition of the structures from what I've read here.

But what has me lost is, why would this doctor buy five houses, neglect them, and then push to have them bulldozed? What's his motive? What is he getting out of it?

[Timkin]

A tax write off?? 

[BigGuy219]

A tax write off?? 

Seriously though. If this many people are buying homes, doing nothing with them, and then cheerleading to have their own property demolished ... there has to be an angle. It's not normal. They have to be getting something for this.

[Timkin]

you're right.. that is a mystery to many of us.. and it isnt just houses.. a beautiful 1917  School Building in Brooklyn is rotting down.  It was bought in 1980 and was pretty intact.. its crumbling