01/12/2004 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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said it is historically significant to the community. They are here today defending that. Mr. Yager said he is newly appointed to the board as the Planning Commission's representative and he looks at this and says if they don't salvage a building like Rebecca's, what is the point of the board? Doing things on Butternut Ridge such as adding lights or doing some streetscaping is fine but it is already a historic district. He saw the demolition of the building to create CVS as one of the real "black eyes" to the City because now you have a loading dock facing Lorain and they have lost an element of history. It is gone, not to come back, not to be relocated, just gone. The character that was present at Porter was significant. Here is the last building on that corner that is going to be removed for probably the display of vehicles. There are alternatives to keep that building and still achieve the image and impression that Halleen is trying to create. That should be pursued with vigor. If Halleen is to proceed, it will have to be knocked down because there is not enough money to relocate it or do anything logical with it. He said his opinion is, even if it gets relocated 500 feet, once it leaves the site it was originally intended for, it's lost its historical value. It may pick up historic value for Olmsted Falls, Bay Village, or any other community that feels significance in keeping older buildings. North Olmsted has so few buildings and so little general character in terms of its architectural dealings that they have to try to maintain the buildings they have. It may not be too important to people in the year 2004 but maybe in 2060 or 3010 it might be important that the building existed and has a history and a designation. A few more cars on a parking lot is not worth removing that building. He objected to the CVS proposal as a member of the Architectural Review Board for that very reason. It is the last site on that very residential five-corner eleinent and now is becoming much more commercial. Mr. Nasher said his feeling is it is a commercial building. He said the building has been changed numerous times. Mrs. Lord said it was not changed significantly. Mr. Lang said they changed windows. NIr. Nasher said they changed windows, and the side of the building. He thinks it has lost its historical features. Mrs. Davis said she helped Mrs. VanAuken do a slide show and it looks just like the slide of the building that shows a horse drawn cart on muddy old Lorain Road. She added that from the front, it is exactly the same. Mr. Yager said if there are things they can do to reinvest in the history that's fine, but once the building is down, there is no history. There is no definition of character at that corner and it becomes whatever proportion and architectural style the applicant comes in with. This should be an all out battle to be sure the building is not knocked down. They should ask Halleen to participate in some way. Perhaps it can be a display area. He mentioned the Honda dealership in Mentor where they maintained an old building. That is how he would ask Halleen and his architect to go. The architect can make it work, they don't have to knock the building down. He believes the building can be maintained and still achieve what the applicant needs. Mr. Nasher with that in mind, he understood that Halleen wanted to donate the building to the City and the City then would have to appropriate funds to relocate it. Now with what Mr. Yager is saying, and he would concur with it, if Halleen would stand behind it and use it for his showrooin, he can see keeping the building at its present site. Mrs. Lord said it came out of an invitation to all of Council and the Administration to come to a meeting to talk about it. It was a suggestion that came off the floor. Mr. Nasher said he would be curious to see what Halleen is going to do with it. He asked if there was any recent communication with him. Mr. Barker said they were told that when the building is torn down the property would be put back to its natural state. Mr. Lang said it would be interesting to see what he vows in the next month, if there is a follow up through the Planning Director and another appointment before the Planning Commission to find out what his plans are for the entire area. Unfortunately, they have no authority to do a thing except to do what they have already done, and that is to deny the certificate of appropriateness for demolition 5 months ago. That is as far as they can go. They cannot negotiate. Mrs. Davis said they can't really fulfill the objective of the commission. She said as she understands it, the only way they can get the building to stay there is they have to have Council behind it. Mr. Nasher asked if the commission has written a letter to Halleen formally asking him to preserve the building. Mr. Lang said they do not have anything in writing but it was done verbally with Mr. Halleen. When he came to a meeting, with the Mayor in attendance, he believes the subject was raised and Halleen said, "no." Mr. Yager said they may want to make suggestions for how Halleen can maintain the existing building on the site. Part of that goes to finding 7