Village says church demolition was required after engineers found building unsafe

Village officials told the board the recent demolition of a long‑standing Main Street church proceeded because structural engineers — including the property owner’s engineer and an independent village engineer — concluded the building was unsafe and required immediate removal.

The board’s building inspector, Neil, said the village secured the bell, the front plaque and a surveyor’s GPS from the site and that demolition work was overseen by a state‑certified contractor who performed asbestos air sampling and mitigation. He said crews separated C‑ and D‑classified construction waste so bricks could be reclaimed while other materials had to be handled as contaminated waste.

The board acknowledged the building’s historical value and the community’s feelings but emphasized public safety and legal obligations once a structure is condemned. Members raised concerns about pillaging of bricks at the site and noted the village paid for the demolition because the structure posed an imminent hazard. Legal disputes between the owner and village remain unresolved, the board said, and the village will not comment further on those matters while they are ongoing.

Board members asked staff to coordinate logistics for artifact custody and to present options for how the village might store or display recovered items. The mayor/board chair said the items now in village possession would be discussed at future meetings and that the board will decide their ultimate disposition.

The board also agreed to limit public detail on outstanding legal issues; next procedural steps include securing remaining artifacts, documenting chain of custody and returning to the board with a recommendation on stewardship or disposition at a future meeting.