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Councilor asks staff to review demolition-delay ordinance for consistency with city projects
Summary
A councilor requested staff review the city's 2022 demolition-delay ordinance to identify where its application may conflict with council-approved projects and to propose amendments that protect historic resources without impeding approved city initiatives.
A Watertown councilor asked the manager and staff on Jan. 28 to review the city’s demolition-delay ordinance, adopted in February 2022, and to propose potential changes after identifying cases where the rule may be applied inconsistently or may impede council-approved projects.
The councilor said the demolition-delay ordinance allows the historic commission to delay demolition for up to two years and that the delay can be useful for salvaging historic materials or finding alternatives to demolition. However, the councilor said they were concerned recent applications may not reflect the discretion the commission was intended to exercise and that the ordinance could unintentionally affect city-approved economic development projects and the middle school project. "My request this evening is to provide the city council with potential update to the historic demolition day delay ordinance," the councilor said.
The manager said staff will review the ordinance and return to the council with recommended amendments and clarifications showing where the ordinance should or should not apply to large city projects and private demolitions. No formal vote was taken; the item is a request for information and staff review.
