Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Demolition And Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Neighbors and preservationists press council to deny 1709 Murray Street demolition; council approves permit
Summary
After sustained public comment from neighborhood groups and preservation advocates alleging demolition-by-neglect, the council approved a demolition permit for 1709 Murray Street; code enforcement and a contractor said the structure is materially unsafe and subject to liens and a prior demolition order.
Neighbors, preservation advocates and property representatives spoke at length on Dec. 18 about a demolition permit for 1709 Murray Street. Residents described petitions, prior council denials and concerns the owner was using demolition to avoid code-enforcement fines. "This is the second time in six months that this property has been before council requesting a demolition permit," one neighbor said, urging the council to hold the owner accountable for neglect.
Preservation Resource Center representatives reiterated the building’s potential eligibility for historic tax credits and called for conditions if demolition moved forward, including deconstruction to salvage materials and a requirement for timely redevelopment. Neighbors presented a petition with more than 100 signatures opposing demolition; they said the city had not declared the home to be in imminent danger of collapse.
Property representatives and a contractor said the house was materially unsafe with termite damage and a slab condition. The director of code enforcement told the council the property had been in continuous decay, that liens had accrued (cited at more than $23,000 in the record), and that an administrative hearing officer had previously declared the structure a public nuisance and ordered demolition. After questions and public comments, the council moved to adopt the demolition request; the motion passed on the recorded vote.
