Planning board approves demolition review for 54 Rapp Road amid preservation objections
Loading...
Summary
After testimony that the house at 54 Rapp Road is structurally unsafe and contains asbestos, the Albany City Planning Board approved a demolition review; neighbors and the Rapp Road Historical Association urged restorative reuse and warned against rezoning to commercial use.
The Albany City Planning Board voted to approve a demolition review for 54 Rapp Road on Feb. 3 after hearing testimony from the property representative and multiple preservation advocates.
Vamonte Sherman, representing owner Henry Sherman, described extensive structural decay at the property built around 1923 and said contractors and an environmental consultant estimated restoration costs at more than "200,000." Sherman said inspectors found rotten floor framing, holes through the floor to the basement and asbestos in roof materials, and he described evidence of trespassing. He said a state variance permitting demolition was granted last November and is active through October.
Preservation advocates repeatedly urged caution. "The Rapp Road Historical Association opposed this demolition request and to rebuild as commercial property," said Stephanie Woodard, the association's president, who argued that rezoning to commercial — even for a small 'mom‑and‑pop' nursery — would set a harmful precedent in the Rapp Road Historic District and compromise its integrity. Michael Bridal, a board member of the association, and County Legislator Danielle Gillespie also spoke in favor of preservation and stressed the area's cultural significance dating to the Great Migration.
Planning staff reminded the board that the application before it was a demolition review only; any redevelopment or zoning change would require separate review and a future return to the board. Staff also said demolition review criteria require the board to consider alternatives such as preservation, donation or rehabilitation and to weigh cost estimates alongside structural and public safety concerns.
Several board members said safety concerns made demolition reasonable but asked the applicant to continue outreach to neighbors and preservation groups; one member asked whether a short deferral for neighbor engagement would be appropriate but staff replied that practice is mixed across cases. Ultimately the board moved and approved the demolition review by voice vote.
The approval clears the way for the owner to proceed with the narrow demolition review; any future reuse of the parcel, including Sherman's proposal for a small plant nursery, would require a separate application and review by the planning board.
