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Neighbors question demolition and size increases for proposed 146 Park Avenue rebuild
Summary
Residents raised concerns that a proposed demolition and rebuild at 146 Park Avenue grew from an initial estimate of 2,600 square feet to as much as 4,900, and questioned whether the house is contributing to historic character and whether reuse conditions should attach to demolition approval.
Several neighbors addressed the council about a demolition and replacement proposal for 146 Park Avenue during the public-comment portion of the meeting.
One resident described receiving an early estimate of 2,600 square feet for the replacement and said the square-footage figure grew at subsequent steps to as much as 4,900 square feet when accessory structures (garage, porch) were included. "It started at one thing, and it's ended up a different proposal," the resident said, pressing the council to treat process transparency and consistency as important to neighborhood expectations.
Another commenter who said she lives on North Teespring Street clarified that the original footprint of the proposed new house (excluding garage) is roughly 2,200 square feet and disputed the larger figure cited by other residents. "The original footprint of the house itself is 2,200 square feet. It's not 4,900. I'm not sure where that number is coming from," she said.
The conversation also turned to historic-preservation considerations. A long-time downtown resident who had served on the council urged creation of a downtown historic preservation district and said some structures (including the house at 46 Barton Street) were in such poor condition that restoration was infeasible. Staff noted that the ARB recommended approval of the historic-demolition request with conditions after determining the dwelling was not contributing to historic fabric.
Council members and staff emphasized that demolition permits and architectural details (setbacks, garages, final design) are handled through the ARB and permitting processes and that the council's decision on a demolition question should focus on the limited legal question at hand — whether demolition is allowed under code and ARB findings.
Next steps: staff said demolition and ARB conditions would govern reuse of historic elements where appropriate; the council did not record a separate final decision on the demolition in the provided transcript.
