Residents urge Flagstaff to preserve historic Babbitt House amid All Thrive property discussions
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Summary
Multiple residents urged the city to preserve the David Babbitt House and to avoid demolishing the historic home for parking; the city manager said staff had stepped back from purchase negotiations with All Thrive and would return to council for further discussion.
Several residents at the Jan. 27 work session urged the Flagstaff City Council to preserve the David Babbitt House and to keep options open for the adjacent All Thrive parcels downtown.
Gwen Groth, a lifelong Flagstaff resident, cited community attachment to the house and an outpouring of social-media support, saying, "There's more to growth and progress than codes, zoning and dollars. It's about sense of place, history, and people." Duffy Westheimer and other speakers offered historical background on the Babbitt family and argued the house should be rehabilitated to serve the community.
Karen Malice Clark supported a possible city purchase of All Thrive's parcel but urged preservation: "Don't demolish it. Keep your decision space open," she said, adding that she had shared comments with the Heritage Preservation Commission and All Thrive representatives.
City Manager Shannon clarified the city's recent approach: the city had discussed negotiations with All Thrive on Jan. 13 but had since stepped back and would return to council with a fuller discussion. "When we brought this to council, we did not state that we were going to use that entire property or the property where the Babbitt House is located for parking," Shannon said. She added staff would bring options back to council.
Council members asked for follow-up and some expressed support for expedited presentations and next steps. No formal council decision to purchase or repurpose the property was recorded at the work session.