Hearing set on objection to Arts, Church projects
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Emporia City Commission has scheduled a public hearing next month to address a possible roadblock to two projects — construction of a new arts center on Commercial Street and demolition of a house on Rural Street.
On historic-preservation grounds, a state office is opposing demolition of three buildings north of the Granada Theatre on Commercial Street to make way for the center. The office of the Kansas historic preservation officer also opposes demolition of the house, owned by Messiah Lutheran Church. Those objections can be overridden by the city commission.
The Granada Theatre at 805 Commercial St., built in 1929, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Regulations require special permission for changes to buildings or other features within 500 feet of a building on the register. The house at 1106 Rural St., built in 1895, is not on the register, but is within 500 feet of the Walt Mason house at 606 W. 12th Ave., which is on the register.
The Emporia Arts Council and the church submitted requests for demolition permits to the city. As required by law, the city sent the requests to the preservation officer. The officer found that demolishing the buildings would have an adverse effect on the nearby historic properties.
Matt Zimmerman, Emporia city manager, said this morning that the arts council and the church had both filed appeals of the state finding with the city commission, which is why the commission has scheduled the public hearing. After the hearing, the commission may either agree with the state and take no action or disagree and issue demolition permits.
“What the city is not allowed to do,” he said, “is to issue (a permit) unless the commission approves it.”
Under state law, the purpose of the hearing is to determine whether there is a “feasible and prudent alternative to demolition,” Zimmerman said.
Melissa Windsor, executive director of the Emporia Arts Council, said this morning that such an alternative does not exist for the council.
“At this time,” she said, “it is our belief that our programming would not fit within the confines of the three existing buildings.”
The Messiah Lutheran Church said the house at 1106 Rural St. is falling apart and would cost too much to fix.
Greg Larson is ministry support team leader at the church. The team handles care and maintenance of church property.
“The house was used as a rental for a number of years,” Larson said. “It’s an older house and it’s fallen into a state of disrepair. It would take a large capital investment to bring the property up to the standards we would like to have it.
“At a congregational assembly last year, the church membership voted to have the house torn down. We’re simply trying to comply with the wishes of the church’s members.”
He said the church wants to tear down the house to create a green space. The church is studying later uses for the land, but wants to find a use that is beneficial to the church and the neighborhood.
If the demolition permit is denied, Larson said, the future of the property is not clear.
“Currently, there is no alternative plan because that would involve putting money into a house that we have no long-range plan for,” he said.
“It’s either put $20,000 to $25,000 into it to bring it up to habitable space or spend about $5,000 to raze the structure and then come up with a long-range plan to put a facility there that would be beneficial to the church and also beneficial to the neighborhood.
“We want to be good stewards of the property we’ve been entrusted with. Part of that is determining the best use of that property for the church and the surrounding community. The state of the structure right now doesn’t allow it without a great deal of expense to bring the property up to a livable level.”
The hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. May 6 in the city commission meeting room at 522 Mechanic St.
madpoet (anonymous) says...
Why would it hurt to knock down a house a block from a historic one? I would think a rundown house would be more detrimental than a vacant lot. Especially if they make a little park out of it. I'm sure they'd keep it mowed at least. Weird.
April 24, 2009 at 2:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
This is the kind of CR$# encountered when there is a designated "hist. dist".
April 24, 2009 at 3:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jcook66801 (anonymous) says...
Maybe I missed it, but did the Gazette try to contact the Kansas historic preservation officer? I would be interested in knowing what he/she has to say.
April 24, 2009 at 6:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
"What would happen, heaven forbid, if it caught fire and burnt to the ground?"
shs (Smoldering House Smoke) That's what would happen.;)
April 24, 2009 at 9:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
The government telling people what they can do with their private property, (for the good of all of us). When did we hear this before?
And just my humble opinion; the drawing of the proposed arts center sucks when compared to the Granada, next door. Perhaps the arts council should talk to Cory Haag from the Granada lofts project on ideas for a better looking exterior.
April 25, 2009 at 7:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )