Comments on: After landmarking inquiry, owner demolishes Wright interior

By: kimsch

kimsch — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 03:50:36 +0000

Manny, sounds like Highland Park or Lake Forest. Mr. T got in trouble for clearing trees from his property in Lake Forest. He cleared them because of allergies. A friend’s father got in trouble for clearing some trees in Highland Park.

By: No Name Guy

No Name Guy — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 16:49:15 +0000

Meh…..its a logical response from the property owner in this case.

Incentives matter…..something I wish preservationists would understand. Structure those incentives (or disincentives, as it were) to insure a rational actor will behave as desired. If you want to preserve something, make sure that doing so is the most profitable (or at least isn’t an unprofitable) thing to do. Such a simple concept that is overlooked by so many.

By: mojo

mojo — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 15:54:52 +0000

It probably leaked, most of Wright’s stuff did. Pretty, but a sieve.

By: marco73

marco73 — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:53:03 +0000

In downtown Tampa, an old YMCA and an old Maas Brother’s department store sat empty for decades while various development plans came and went. Each time the preservationists insisted that various parts of the existing structures had to be incorporated in any new development. This greatly restricted the use of the properties, so that private developers just stayed away.
Both buildings became meccas for homeless during colder weather. Eventually, both buildings were completely gutted by accidental fires, so that nothing was preserved, and at great risk to the firefighters who had to put out the blazes. I still recall sitting in my office, watching a couple police cars get washed down the street when the YMCA pool collapsed from all the water.

By: Mannie

Mannie — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 17:03:09 +0000

I was involved in a development project in a Chicagoland town that should remain nameless. The developer applied for Council permission to subdivide and develop a wooded parcel. The City denied permission, saying that it would destroy too many trees. They forgot they didn’t have a tree cutting ordinance.

The next day, the developer clear cut the property, bulldozed all the trees to the edge of the road, and set fire to them.

At the next council meeting, he resubmitted his plans with the comment, “We will be destroying no trees.”

He was approved.

By: John Burgess

John Burgess — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 13:49:13 +0000

@Bob Lipton: You get tax breaks?! Lucky you!!

In DC, the Historic Preservation Society (unelected) rules by fiat. Windows, paint, exterior doors… even the glass in the windows are all delimited. And all at the owner’s expense.

By: Bob Lipton

Bob Lipton — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 12:15:46 +0000

I live in a block in Manhattan whose brownstone facades are all landmarked. We’ve just arranged to have the front windows replaced and because of the landmark status restrictions, we had to use particular wooden windows instead of, perhaps more practical vinyl casements that look exactly the same, wear better and are much cheaper.

We do get some tax breaks because of that status, but …

Bob