Inside 113 E. 3rd St.

[strider]

What should he do ?  Donate it to Andrew Macris? 

[iloveionia]

I believe Billy Motes will do right by this house. I happen to like the man.
BUT it does not necessarily lie with him.
Window replacement requires a COA and approval. The end determination lies with them.
It should be important to mention too that HPC approved this home for demolition: approved via that non-existent formal track for demolition. We have a lot of work ahead.
I believe firmly, like with Walnut Court, that code will have zero claim of proof that this house is in danger of falling. I dislike harping on the past, but unfortunately we have to fix harm that has been done, how on earth can you approve something to be demolished without ever having seen it with your own eyes? And worse? Put all your cards with code enforcement who are charged with safety, not history and significance!!!
Save the houses. That's it.
Thank God for an owner who is not absent.

[chris farley]

You know I have not posted on this board for a couple of years until today.  I cannot believe what has been said in the last two posts.  In spite of this I intend to put a paper together on the house, and talk to Joel this afternoon.  I thought the past did not matter and it is not a matter of liking the owner it is a matter of saving the house.  I do not care about the past action that said to demolish the house, its time is to move forward. 

[iloveionia]

Come on.
Really?
You should re-read my post. 
In your post you put Motes on check, folks on page one all but called him scum.  I simply stated I liked him, I felt he deserved at least that.

The past matters here as this house was approved by HPC for demolition via the formal track.  And if we can't get the mothball COA approved, we will not be able to save it.  Code has the go-ahead to demolish and they will.  God help us if the bulldozer shows up around the corner.  MCCD reads metrojacksonville, I am sure they are scrambling to get the final paperwork in order to take down the house.  Jason Teal says that HPC can not reverse their decision no matter how long ago it was, no matter how they feel now.  Call him, email him, ask him.  It's the unfortunate truth.

Now while many of us can agree (including you and I) that this is a house to save and fight for, it may not matter.  The damage has been done.  Did Billy have a responsibility as a homeowner to make this home habitable?  Of course.  But like many others, he is a victim too: of code enforcement. 

Two ways to save the house: Mothball COA or owner deeds the house away.  That's it.  And that is only part way there, but it will keep the dozers at bay.

I want you to call Joel, I want you to speak for the house.  BUT understand that that alone will not save the house.  HPC approved it for demolition.  Period.  Kim Scott agreed to a "stay of execution" on condemened homes while Joel's office sent out mothball information letters, but that time is at it's expiration date.   But no matter, what we knew all along that we were likely to lose all of the formal track homes.  Kim Scott has the power to rescind homes on the formal track.  She's the only one.

I don't like any of this: losing homes.  And while I do not have as much experience in Springfield as you do Chris, I am not talking out of my ass either.  I know what's up.  Even at 3,000 miles away I am more involved than most of full time Springfielders. 

I and the dedicated folks at PSOS will do everything possible to save this house.  I hope more folks like yourself will support this homes journey to saving as well.  Thank you for talking to Joel.  I would encourage you to bring your historical information to the HPC meeting where the COA for Billy's house will be heard. 

I go back again: books should not be judged by their covers.  Billy's house was, and this is a house that was misjudged as the pictures show. 

[strider]

You know I have not posted on this board for a couple of years until today.  I cannot believe what has been said in the last two posts.  In spite of this I intend to put a paper together on the house, and talk to Joel this afternoon.  I thought the past did not matter and it is not a matter of liking the owner it is a matter of saving the house.  I do not care about the past action that said to demolish the house, its time is to move forward. 

The past often, if not always, helps determine the future.  In this case, a group from the community took MCCD to shut down this house and make sure it was condemned.  Then, as usual, MCCD did what they do best - hinder rather than help in any way.  Yes, this is the past, but it lead to a future approval for demolition of a great house.  Yes, that is also the past, but it is very possibly going to lead to the future loss of this house.  And many more.   

We can't change the past, but by knowing it, we can learn from it. 

And hopefully, though this is Jacksonville, be smart enough to not let the past sins dictate that future.

[Debbie Thompson]

And now instead of making any further points about the past, which are informative, but which we unfortunately can't change, let's all stop annoying each other and work together to save the house.

If a mothballing COA has been filed already, which I think it has, doesn't that stop MCCD from demo-ing the house until the COA is decided?  If not, we really need to address that.  Once a Mothball COA is applied for, it should pull the plug on demo.

[chris farley]

Quite frankly Debbie I have not had and do not intend to have any attempt at annoying anyone. Read my blogs, when Gloria posted the inside of that house I knew it was old but had not realized how old.  All I have tried to do is show research that may have an impact on saving the structure, but the retorts have been negative and I do not understand why, unless it is "do not rain on my parade".  I have not bad mouthed anyone just said lets get on with it.  I do intend to get on with the history and have already made a couple of approaches to try to prevent demolition. I intend to keep doing it, if efforts are rejected, sobeit.

[sheclown]

save the houses

[iloveionia]

Save the houses. 
However it's done, by whomever.
Just save the houses.
Every last one of them.

[strider]

As a community,  Springfield, and while it was often by in-action, sold our soul to a local organization ten years ago and through that action, could have lost the entire community.  Now, some are starting to realize that and are fighting the good fight.  But we all have to realize that ten years ago when we sold our soul, we gave up the right to pick and choose which house to try to save.  We now have lost so many that every single house must be fought for and saved regardless of the cost.  It is the only way to save the soul of the community.

Save the houses, every last one of them.

[Debbie Thompson]

Absolutely.  Save the houses. 

[ChriswUfGator]

is this the same bill moates that chopped up all the houses, turned them into rooming houses, and packed them full of prostitutes and drug dealers? The same bill moates that ran drugs through those houses and then let them all fall apart? The same bill moates that got ran out ten years ago for all the trouble he caused? good riddance! By the way I offered to buy that house and the one next to it three years ago just to get him completely out of springfield but he wasnt interested in selling.

Yep.  Same POS.

Well clearly the solution is to punish the rest of us by destroying another historic structure.

Great insight, guys. Very helpful.

[Debbie Thompson]

John P doesn't get it.  He's like the City.   It's not about the owners, past or present, it's about the houses.  Save the houses. 

[sheclown]

A beautiful illustration of throwing the baby out with the bath water.

[hooplady]

Keep kissing the frogs, or dragons, or ogres...whatever.  Just save the houses.