"and that renovation costs for the house are expected to be over $3 million. So I think we can take "restore it as a single family house" off of the list of possible options for it."
Melani, Penn decided to mothball this building for three years. It was a functioning building and it's closure had nothing to do with a building needing to be demolished. This 3 million dollars looks like another disingenuous red herring. Was this info given to you by Tom or directly from those Penn Real Estate guys?Could that possibly be the figure from the hotel plan? Or could this figure have been given when the developer wanted it de-listed? I wonder what Penn was thinking when it bought the building and waited 3 years only to secretly attempt to get clearance for demolition? Melani, you are very involved with this project. Why did Penn and Lussenhop originally want the historic house demolished. Were there early community objections to demolition? Melani writes: If not for the designation, there would have been no hearing before the Historical Commission at all about a reuse of the Italianate building. The developers could have gotten a demolition permit and torn it down! Then they could have gone straight to the Zoning Board with a proposal for a new hotel on the site, stating that the lot had previously contained only a decrepit and deteriorated nursing home in an old house surrounded by stucco one-story additions and blacktop. Was this the whole argument presented for de-listing or was there more? Did they originally want a larger Hilton? Thanks in advance for the answers. And for helping the community figure out what has been going on so that we can work together openly for community improvement. Glenn PS: I don't want Penn to go under. Do you think they would sell me the building for $1 so they can get back to research and education without the burden of this eyesore. --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Here are two more things to consider as the list > debates the 40th & > Pine/Baltimore location for a restored Italianate > building and an extended stay hotel. > As I understand it, when the property was purchased > in 2004, no one involved > knew that the building was on the local register, so > they weren't > anticipating renovation costs for the Italianate > house. And I've been told that they > paid "roughly $1.8 million" for it, and that > renovation costs for the house are > expected to be over $3 million. So I think we can > take "restore it as a > single family house" off of the list of possible > options for it. As I said at > yesterday's meeting, it's beyond the abilities of > local homeowners to handle > this property. > > Can anyone suggest other possible uses for it? Or > make a good case for it > to continue to sit vacant and deteriorated? Please > be practical; we all know > that Penn has an endowment and a lot of money, but > they also have Trustees to > answer to, and a mission of education. They don't > do projects that don't > make financial sense. > > Also, here's a note about how community association > zoning committees work. > Karen Allen and I both know this, since we work > together on the Cedar Park > Neighbors zoning committee: > > When a change is being proposed, or even thought > about, it is best if the > developer/property owner consults the community > association's zoning committee > right away to make them aware of the possibility. > The zoning committee may > meet with the owner informally, ask questions and/or > make some suggestions about > the project as a start, or may just get enough > information to schedule a > meeting with the nearby neighbors. The neighbors > would always include the folks > on the block, and might also include neighbors > further away, depending on the > type of proposal. > > Sometimes early on, and sometimes not till after the > orange zoning alert > flyers go up, the community association's zoning > committee sets up the neighbors' > meeting, notifies the neighbors (CPN leaflets), and > lets the applicant make a > presentation to them. Then the neighbors weigh in, > and the zoning committee > works with them - the neighbors - to accomplish the > goals the neighbors want. > It's not about the zoning committee's wants, or the > whole area's wants; it's > about the neighbors' wants - because they are the > ones faced with the change. > If the neighbors don't agree, then it's harder > for the zoning committee; > they need to either go with the majority or tell the > zoning board that they > can't take a side in the matter. > > I remember going to a CPN zoning committee meeting > for a conversion of a > property to multifamily on Cedar Ave. where I > personally didn't like the proposal, > and the other CPN folks at the meeting expected the > neighbors to be against > it. But the neighbors liked the applicant and were > in favor of the change. > We reminded them that it would be permanent, even if > the building was later > sold to someone they didn't like. They said that > was okay with them. So, CPN > supported the conversion. > > That's how zoning committees function. They > support the neighbors. > > Does someone have better suggestions for how zoning > committees should > operate? Again, keeping the suggestions practical > - and doable for local community > volunteers? > > - Melani Lamond > > > > > In a message dated 10/24/07 10:51:03 AM, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > The Secretary of the Interior's standards for > rehabilitation were referred > > to a > > few times in the review meeting. I was surprised > to see that they're > > actually > > quite concise, though obviously open to > interpretation. Standard 9 was the > > source for John Gallery's objections: > > > > > http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/tax/rhb/stand.htm > > > > The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for > Rehabilitation > > > > The Standards (Department of Interior regulations, > 36 CFR 67) pertain to > > historic buildings of all materials, construction > types, sizes, and > > occupancy > > and encompass the exterior and the interior, > related landscape features and > > the > > building's site and environment as well as > attached, adjacent, or related > > new > > construction. The Standards are to be applied to > specific rehabilitation > > projects in a reasonable manner, taking into > consideration economic and > > technical feasibility. > > > > 1. A property shall be used for its historic > purpose or be placed in a new > > use > > that requires minimal change to the defining > characteristics of the building > > and its site and environment. > > > > 2. The historic character of a property shall be > retained and preserved. The > > removal of historic materials or alteration of > features and spaces that > > characterize a property shall be avoided. > > > > 3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical > record of its time, > > place, > > and use. Changes that create a false sense of > historical development, such > > as > > adding conjectural features or architectural > elements from other buildings, > > shall not be undertaken. > > > > 4. Most properties change over time; those changes > that have acquired > > historic > > significance in their own right shall be retained > and preserved. > > > > 5. Distinctive features, finishes, and > construction techniques or examples > > of > > craftsmanship that characterize a property shall > be preserved. > > > > 6. Deteriorated historic features shall be > repaired rather than replaced. > > Where > > the severity of deterioration requires replacement > of a distinctive feature, > > the new feature shall match the old in design, > color, texture, and other > > visual > > qualities and, where possible, materials. > Replacement of missing features > > shall > > be substantiated by documentary, physical, or > pictorial evidence. > > > > 7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as > sandblasting, that cause damage > > to > > historic materials shall not be used. The surface > cleaning of structures, if > > appropriate, shall be undertaken using the > gentlest means possible. > > > > 8. Significant archeological resources affected by > a project shall be > > protected > > and preserved. If such resources must be > disturbed, mitigation measures > > shall > > be undertaken. > > > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! 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