Folks, heres the letter from attorney Mark Sadd that the city of Beckley doesnt want you to see. This will probably be published in the Raleigh Register tomorrow or Wednesday. Earlier this month I was asked to help a group of concerned business owners in Beckley determine whether a proposed demolition of buildings in the citys national historic district violates city ordinances and jeopardizes the integrity, if not the listing, of the district in the National Register of Historic Places. They are correct. A delisting would eliminate the ability of owners of historic properties to tap lucrative tax credits. Nationally, these have leveraged more than $40 billion in private investment. A delisting would be a disaster for the city and its historic properties and would stanch private investment in Beckley. Years ago, to encourage this very same investment, Beckley enacted protections against indiscriminate demolition of historic buildings. Yet, in recent weeks, when demolition plans heated up, it became clear that the citys code enforcement department did not know these protections required its historic landmarks commission to review and approve those plans. The commission is required to ascertain whether such historic buildings are in substantial disrepair or beyond economic value and whether the disrepair is attributable to the willful neglect of their owner. Even if the demolition proceeds, the commission must approve the plans for new development. New buildings too must comply with the guidelines that the city enacted many years ago. Does the proposal for new construction meet the guidelines? Does the owner understand that the new building may not be set back from the street with a parking lot in front? Beckleys ordinances represent a sound, progressive approach to protecting critical resources in Beckleys core. The city should be congratulated for basing part of its economic development efforts on preservation. It would be odd and backward for it to abandon the approach given the investments of so many. As the city takes up plans for consideration, it should follow the law and aspire to leverage as much private investment as possible, rewarding owners who invest in what makes Beckley unique. That is the big picture. The city should reject demolition and work for alternatives. -- Mark A. Sadd of Lewis, Glasser, Casey & Rollins, PLLC, works in historic preservation throughout West Virginia. President George W. Bush appointed Sadd to two terms on the U.S. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 03:17:59 +0000
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