You Are to Blame
Mark Sommer in today’s Buffalo News wrote up the saga that is playing out over the planned demolition of 399 Franklin Street. Ralph Salerno’s desire to demolish the building was first posted here in September with several updates since. Sommer provided a fair and balanced story, even mentioned the online petition that we’ve been plugging, but it nonetheless raised my blood pressure a bit.
Amazingly, Preservation Board Chair John Laping goes on record saying the lack of turn-out at the hearing influenced the Board’s decision to allow the demolition to proceed:
“(Laping) questioned why critics didn't speak out before the vote was taken. Only one dissenter - a representative of the Allentown Association - spoke against the proposed demolition at the Oct. 2 meeting.”
To which Cynthia Van Ness, Preservation Coalition of Erie County president, Buffalo Issue Alert organizer, and sometimes contributor to Buffalo Rising responds:
"The real story is that the Preservation Board, which is charged to protect the Allentown historic district, failed to do so. Look at their charter. I would argue they violated their responsibilities in this case."Van Ness blamed the low turnout on the board holding its weekly meetings in the afternoon, when most working people can't attend, and a failure to post weekly agenda items on the City Hall Web site.
"Besides, it seems like there shouldn't have to be a popular referendum on a building where there is already legislation in place to protect it," Van Ness said.
Cynthia hits the nail on the head. The Board dropped the ball and daytime hearings aren’t convenient for much of the public. Agendas are typically posted to the City’s Preservation Board agenda page days, if not weeks, after the meeting has taken place. The public is not aware a meeting is taking place, they receive inadequate notice, have jobs or other commitments, yet is the scapegoat. To be fair, many other boards or legislative bodies have daytime hearings. It is time for the City to consider noticing and meeting changes to encourage citizens to participate and express their concerns. Petitions and letters aren't getting the message across.
Photo credit: CitySky Photography by Nate Farnsworth
It would be great if the Pres Board, and others, had evening meetings, but they don't and they never have. Pres Board agenas are e-mailed, often with very short notice, but not in the case of 399 Franklin, to anyone who wants them.
I'm not trying to let the Pres. Board off the hook here, but it is inexcusable that none of the big three preservation organizations (PresCo, Landmarks Society, and Campaign for Greater Buffalo) managed to even send a formal comment to the Board in the form of a letter. If their argument is that they can't be effective in influencing public prolicy in a timely manner until Pres. Board meetings are held in the evenings, then they should include that disclaimer when they ask the public for their membership and support.
399 Franklin was discussed on BRO and in the Buffalo News long before the hearing at which the vote was taken. This wasn't some sneak attack.
If the Preservation Board is supposed to be protecting historic buildings, they should do so even if no citizens show up to their meetings. They should make these decisions following their own mission, without lawn signs, on-line petitions, and citizen outcry. Granted, sometimes these actions are necessary, but we shouldn't have to feel like every time 100 people don't show up to a meeting, another historic building will be demolished.
The purpose of the P R E S E R V A T I ON board is to protect these buildings and be the eyes and ears of the people. They are there so people don't have to rally around every building. They are charged with making decisions in the best interests of the city's irreplaceable historic fabric weather there are 50 people in attendance or none.
I think many (were) under the impression the preservation board was there to be an advocate for the historic buildings not an attendance taker. This building was allowed to rot and then the very people who allowed it to rot are allowed to use its poor condition as a reason for demolition.
What is the purpose of this supposed preservation board?
Even if Buffalo were a paradigm of enlightened governance, which is it not yet, it would be naive to assume that public bodies like the Preservation Board, Planning Board, Common Council, etc. would operate at peak performance all the time without the need for prodding from the citizenry.
Cranky is a very cynical person, but even allowing for others to have a more generous view of the world, he has to wonder how anyone involved in the Preservation and/or Urbanist communities in Buffalo can honestly say that they are completely surprised that the Board would approve the 399 demo application.
Sorry to the printer but he can keep his store but find another location for his presses. Buffalo is 60% empty and failing to admit a mistake is being made is not work loosing a historic building.
After meeting with the Preservation Board as recently as one month ago for my own property improvements, the Preservation Board wanted us to hold our new construction to high standards of looking like historic materials, improving the look of the facade, and taking cues from other neighborhood buildings, all clearly with the improvement of the neighborhood in the best interests of their decision and acceptance of my plans. For them to then turn 180, and allow a demolition of one of the entrance buildings to the National Register Preservation District literally baffles me. When this business passes away or moves to even bigger facilities, we will be stuck with their limp attempt at contextualism. Instead of keeping the building for what the owner says is bad financials, the Board should have insisted the building be kept at least for the front facade or for at least 50 percent of the structure. To blame it on a lack of citizen support, the Mayor needs to rethink who sits on that Board. Architects on the Board, you are a disgrace to your profession! How could synthetic stucco could possibly replace that Italianate work? No answer needed. No one is possible.
During the Peace Bridge follies (pre-lawsuit, in particular) it was interesting to learn a bit about the appointed members of the PUBLIC Bridge Authority and their other business affiliations.
I respectfully re-submit a request that someone writing or reading BRO please, provide some background about the members of our fair city's Preservation Board. As of a Aug '06 meeting, the members were:
John Laping, Chairman,
Dennis Masters, Vice Chairman,
Allison Kimberly,
Paul Carroll,
Richard Baer,
Barry Muskat,
Richard Guerra,
Peter Grace,
Russell Pawlak
Carla Singleton,
Sam Gurney
I would imagine that board members are appointed and may or may not be paid(?) but, is there a set of qualifications they must meet? Is this a part-time position and, if so… what other business/es is each member affiliated with?
I encourage everyone to call the mayor's office and voice a complaint about this decision. Or write a letter. Or send an email. Let City Hall know that demolishing this building in one of the nation's largest National Historic Districts is a costly and permanent mistake. This will damage Buffalo's future as an architectural tourist site, will erode the architectural texture of an ususually beautiful and historic block in the city, and signal that the city doesn not truly care about the history or the integrity of its most nationally known neighborhood.
Just google the names. Don't forget, Tim Tielman was just appointed this year.
Although I totally agree the Pres Board needs to be accountable for preservation over economic development, I also see both as going hand-in-hand. BUT-----------
Where were the Preservation Coalition, Landmark Society, Campaign for Buffalo, et al?
AND --- for the city to surely be accountable, they have to perform due diligence in allowing these meetings to truly be open to the public and not just the well to do public that can take off work to attend these meetings.
How many of us can say to our bosses: "Dude, like I've gotta go save a building, it's off to the PreservationBoard meeting for me." and still expect to have a job waiting for us?
One of the hopes of a perfect world is that the nonprofit preservation orgs would live up to their true purpose and represent the need for rehabbing these historic structures that really define an important aspect of Buffalo. In so doing, represent the people, too.
I mean, like, don't they have to show some accountability to their funders?
A little lengthy, but here goes. From the City Charter, Pres. Board Membership:
(1)Nine (9) members of the Board shall be residents of Buffalo to be appointed by the Common Council or the Mayor as hereinafter provided. They may be selected from a list of nominees solicited by the Secretary of the Board from interested groups or organizations and reviewed by the Board. The Secretary shall transmit these nominees to the Mayor or Common Council.
(a) The Mayor shall appoint six (6) members of the Board, subject to confirmation by the Common Council:
[1]Three (3) members, one (1) from each of the following fields: architecture, architectural history and real estate. The Mayor shall designate one (1) of these initial appointees for a one-year term, one (1) for a two-year term and one (1) for a three-year term.
[2]One (1) member from any of the following fields: architectural history, historic architecture, planning, archaeology, landscape architecture or historic preservation or closely related discipline. The initial appointee shall serve a one-year term.
[3]Two (2) members chosen from the city at large. The Mayor shall designate one (1) of these appointees to serve a two-year term and one (1) to serve a three-year term.
(b)The President of the Council shall appoint three (3) members, as follows:
[1]One (1) member from a downtown historic district shall live, work or own property within the district to serve an initial two-year term. "Downtown" is defined as that tract or land bounded by Edward Street and Goodell Street on the north, Michigan Avenue on the east, the Buffalo River on the south and the Skyway and Elmwood Avenue on the west.
[2]One (1) member from a predominantly residential historic district who shall live, work or own property within the district who shall serve an initial three-year term.
[3]One (1) member from any other historic district who shall live, work or own property in the district who shall serve an initial one-year term.
(2)The two (2) remaining members of the Board shall be the director of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society or his designee and the president of the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier or his designee.
C.All subsequent appointments shall be for three-year terms. In the event of a vacancy, the vacancy in the unexpired term shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Members may not serve for more than two (2) consecutive full terms except that the aforementioned director and president or their designees shall serve during their terms of office. Members shall continue to hold office until the appointment of a successor. Members shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for expenses related to their duties. No member shall be an officer or employee of the City of Buffalo or of any related agency.
I think Steel said it all, quite to the point, and summed it up beautifully.
Take your jobs seriously as custodians of the public trust, or get out of the way.
My God! That you can take the title and not the scepter!
Here are agendas and minutes put online as a public service by the Landmark Society by their volunteer webmaster:
http://www.landmark-niagara.org/presbd/presbd.html
Another volunteer uploads them to Buffalo Issue Alerts, which anyone may join:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BfloIssueAlerts/
For every demo permit application, the City ought to load a page to its website with its picture, date of hearing at the Preservation Board, and structural details. And then meet after work, for heaven's sake!
I'd lay off the various preservation organizations in town. They forever get lectured that they cannot save everything, until something falls, and then they get lectured for not saving everything.
Blaming them is like blaming ambulance drivers for always responding to accidents instead of preventing them.
Don't forget...an important hearing will take place on December 14. Save the date.
Drawn from Google and helpful friends here's a brief answer to comptart.
John Laping, Architect, Kideney Architects
Dennis Masters, Construction, BRD (Business located in Ellicott District)
Allison Kimberly, Layperson
Paul Carroll, Layperson (Lives in Allentown)
Richard Baer, Architect, Baer & Associates Construction Consultants, appointed by Landmarks Society
Barry Muskat, Architectural Historian
Not "Richard" but Christopher Guerra, Architect, Hamilton Houston Lownie (Lives and works in Allentown)
Peter Grace, Structure Engineer, Siracuse Engineers (Business in Allentown)
Russell Pawlak, President, Central Terminal Restoration Corp
Carla Singleton, Architect, Singleton Construction Consultants
Sam Gurney, Real Estate (Business located in Allentown)
Quantum, are you sure about Tim Tielman?
WCP & Googler — thanks for the information. The charter info was particularly thorough and, encouraging in that it sets forth some very specific requirements. I did start googling, Googler but, ended up with mostly Pres Board references and not much else. Nontheless, it was at least encouraging to see "architect" after the few names I had time for — as opposed to finding "demolition business owner"! Ya know, while typing those last words, an oddly cynical thought popped into my head (this is really sick)… once a building is demo'd it does leave a gaping hole to be filled.
What was the vote (how many for and dissenting?) and was any reasoning listed. I apologize if this is something I could/should look up elsewhere but, I already spend too much time online following issues thru BRO.
Seattle and other cities have requirements that "Proposed Land Use Actions" have public postings of 3' x 5' or so on the property. These signs list the owner, the proposed project, dates and times of public hearings and required permits and so forth. This is all done weeks in advance of the project approvals so that the public has a chance to learn about the project, study the existing zoning and neighborhood context, and formulate opinions and prepare thoughtful responses. This allows a very civilized and sane approach to development issues, and helps defuse the necessity of last-minute knee jerk reactions.
It could be wise to consider a similar approach in Buffalo.
Common Council probably had to approve Tielman's appointment. Try searching here:
http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/Home/NewsCalendar/CommonCouncilProceedings
Comptart- (Don't quote me, but...)- I believe there wasn't one disenting vote to demolish 399 Franklin. :-/
just check the pres board meeting minutes from today - Tielman is on since 9/1/06