Home | Yearly News Archive | Advertisers | Blog | Contact Us |
|
Thursday, October 31, 2024 |
|
Rose Furniture |
Post Reply | Page 12> |
Author | |
Vivian Moon
MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
Post Options
Thanks(1)
Posted: May 24 2013 at 6:35pm |
Posted: 5:00 p.m. Friday, May 24, 2013
Supporters ask downtown building be spared from demolitionStaff Writer
MIDDLETOWN — A group of downtown supporters do not want the city to demolish the former Rose Furniture building.
Neither does the city’s own Historic Commission, though the city’s community revitalization department has filed an appeal and it will be re-heard at the May 30 commission meeting. The commission’s nine-member board voted to deny the application at the May 16 meeting. A small contingent of property owners and supporters of the downtown attended City Council’s Tuesday meeting asking the city-owned building at 36 S. Main St. not be razed. “A complete demolition would create a dead space, a black hole, a front tooth missing in the smile of that block,” said Lewitt, who represents the ownership of the adjacent U.S. Hotel at 34 S. Main St. “It will be another lot for the city to mow, maintain and to sit on for who knows how long. Instead, why not save the facade?” Doug Adkins, Middletown’s Community Revitalization director, filed the appeal. He could not be reached for comment, but according to an three-page appeal, with 14 pages of support from two experts, indicates repairing the building, or even giving it away, is not justifiable. “If the building was donated by the city to a new owner, I respectfully submit that there is no possible use nor could the building be adapted for any other potential use that could justify a reasonable rate of return … ,” Adkins wrote. The building, appraised for $40,360 (which does not include the $34,570 value of the land), would cost $47,600 to repair the building according to an August 2011 estimate, but did not include roof or structural repairs. Adkins wrote that the city received an estimate that would cost the city $400,000 to make the necessary repairs and remove any hazardous materials from the building built in the early 1900s. According to the letter sent to the city’s building department from city’s planning director, Marty Kohler, who also serves as the historic preservation administrator, the commission denied the application for demolition for five reasons, some of which were similar to Lewitt’s points:
|
|
Vivian Moon
MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Where is City Hall going to get the funds to demo the Rose Furniture building?
I thought Ms Judy was going to get a 2 million dollar bond and this building was going to be removed using those funds.
I do not believe that Mr. Adkins can use the 2.1 million dollar Moving Ohio Forward Fund to demo this building. |
|
Voleye
MUSA Immigrant Joined: May 09 2009 Status: Offline Points: 37 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
This building is past needing torn down. If it isn't torn down soon it will fall. Stand in front of the pawn shop and look up. You can see parts of the building around the gutters have already fallen, Up high on the back of the building there is missing bricks. The building needs torn down, it has been an eyesore and empty for several years.
|
|
spiderjohn
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Outside of C St, every building on the two-block run of S Main St should come down, including the Sorg Mansion and Opera House. They are all eyesores that could nowhere near pass code, and have not been remotely maintained by their owners. Typical selective enforcement and cronyism of the type that is fractionizing our community and festering municipal distrust.
If they are so valuable, why haven't they been maintained and used for anything meaningful? By allowing them to fall into such distressed condition for so long, their owners are pretty much saying that they honestly don't care about them, and in most cases are expecting someone else to maintain and/or restore them. Well--there is no one out there to do that any more. There are far more important issues out there. jmo jmo
|
|
Libertarian
MUSA Immigrant Joined: May 09 2013 Status: Offline Points: 37 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Vivian,
Is it really true that Mr. Akins staff recently cited your residential property for a "debatable" code violation? And, did he finally have demolished the long dilapidated homes adjacent to you on Waite Street plus Grand Avenue? Thanks for your previous efforts to try to have Mr. Akins mow two to three foot tall weeds/grass near you at properties on Waite Street, Grand Avenue, etc. Knowing that Mr. Akins reads posts on this blog, I guess that he wanted to send you a message? Keep up the good work ! |
|
Vivian Moon
MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Typical selective enforcement and cronyism of the type that is fractionizing our community and festering municipal distrust.
Spider The selective enforcement of the law has become a joke in this community and that is why all the buildings downtown are in their current state of disrepair and City Hall's actions are 25 years tooo late. Every time I drive past the Ducan Oil property at the tracks I wonder what on earth was City Hall thinking when they made this mess? When is City Hall going to clean up this mess? No vision...no plan...no clue |
|
Middletown29
MUSA Citizen Joined: Mar 30 2011 Status: Offline Points: 474 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Lewitt/Finkelman should covern herself with fixing their property
|
|
VietVet
MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008 |
Post Options
Thanks(1)
|
I like this comment from Lewitt.......
“A complete demolition would create a dead space, a black hole, a front tooth missing in the smile of that block,” said Lewitt, who represents the ownership of the adjacent U.S. Hotel at 34 S. Main St. “It will be another lot for the city to mow, maintain and to sit on for who knows how long. Instead, why not save the facade?” UHH.........RACHEL, WHAT ABOUT ALL THE "DEAD SPACE"...."BLACK HOLE"....."FRONT TOOTH MISSING IN THE SMILE OF THE TOWN IN VARIOUS PLACES" (COMICAL COMMENT FROM RACHEL BY THE WAY) COMING FROM THE EMPTY SPACE FROM ROOSEVELT SCHOOL,OLD JEFFERSON SCHOOL, SUNSET POOL, HALF THE FRIKKIN' DOWNTOWN, BY THE TRAIN STATION, THE OLD HOSPITAL AREA AND OTHERS? KINDA LOOKS A LITTLE DESOLATE IN THOSE AREAS TOO, RIGHT? IT AIN'T JUST YOUR PROPERTIES AND IT AIN'T JUST YOUR DOWNTOWN THAT THIS APPLIES TO, RACH. IF DEAD SPACE BOTHERS YOU, WHY DOES IT BOTHER YOU IN JUST THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND NOT THE ENTIRE TOWN? THIS DAM TOWN IS LOOKING A LITTLE "APOCALYPTIC" THESE DAYS WITH ALL THE EMPTY "NOTHINGNESS" THAT IS LEFT AFTER THE SATURATION DEMOLITION. WHERE WAS THE OUTRAGE BEFORE THE OTHERS WERE TORN DOWN? |
|
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
|
|
409
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Mar 27 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1014 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
From MJ:
Historic Commission chair says ‘shame on you’ to City Council By Michael D. Pitman
Staff Writer MIDDLETOWN — The chair of the Middletown Historic Commission voiced her disagreement with City Council this week about the city’s attempt to have the former Rose Furniture building demolished. Last month, the Historic Commission voted 5-2 to support the city’s hardship appeal as to why it needed to demolish the building at 36 S. Main St. in the historic South Main District. But the commission said everything but the facade is permitted to be demolished. Commission chair Nancy Romero told City Council on Tuesday “shame on you” for acquiring a building “you had no intention of doing anything with,” not maintaining the building “to the level you expect the citizens” to maintain their properties, and intending to spend $300,000 to demolish the building “when you could have repaired that building for only $47,000 two years ago.” The building has fallen into disrepair, mostly because of a leaky roof. The damages sustained to the building have also affected the adjoining building to the north at 34 S. Main St. She also was critical of the city for its hardship appeal to the Historic Commission, which turned down the order for demolition earlier in the month, “when you did not meet the three points necessary for a hardship case.” She also did not think the city should have had Community Revitalization Director Doug Adkins “bully and threaten” the Historic Commission into approving the appeal. Last week, Romero told The Journal that Adkins had “bullied” the commission into approving the appeal, saying City Council would “override” any negative decision. Adkins said he was “candid” in his presentation and was honest of what the city’s next steps would be if the commission would turn down the request. Adkins said last week that the next step in demolishing the building will be to seek request for proposals for demolition estimates. |
|
over the hill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Thank you Ms. Ramero for standing before council and telling us how Adkins REALLY treats people when he thinks no one is watching.
|
|
Vivian Moon
MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Over the Hill
He acts like a bully when he stands before City Council also.
Remember his famous quote "Give me the POWER and I will make it happen". Let's see if he enjoys being bullied by HUD |
|
over the hill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
LOL Hope he gets his MOJO workin' with that power, he's going to need it. GO ahead, Doug, bully HUD
|
|
Libertarian
MUSA Immigrant Joined: May 09 2013 Status: Offline Points: 37 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Over The Hill and Vivian -
It's strange how two frequent MUSA participants continue to sing the praises of Mr. Akins. When you look at the past four years you see many bold proclamations like the 2,300 home code violation blitzkrieg, the 20-year $50 Million NSP plan for impacted neighborhoods, the loss of up to $75,000 per home in the NSP boondoggle, the replacement of CONSOC with Nelson & Associates, the world famous Inspection Group that was brought in to "upgrade" Section 8 property violations (not to mention their quick departure because of numerous problems), blanket demolition of 300 houses mostly in Ward 2, the absence of any known redevelopment plans for the 300 vacant lots, the high cost of program delivery and program administration fees as a percentage of the budget, etc. etc. What a record that city sttaf has created (not) with milllions of HUD funds! Mr. Akins boosters, please tell us your version of cost accountability, housing market rejuvination in Ward 2 plus parts of Ward 1, proper expenditure of HUD funds to upgrade the city and its' image in S.W. Ohio?
|
|
over the hill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Thank You Libertarian,You hit the nail on the head!!!
|
|
spiderjohn
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
The guy is out to cut the program, therefore breaking the addiction to federal money that has been spent dis-proportionally on cronyism and special interests instead of improving the entire city as made possible
The guy is willing to take down blight, including facing off with the downtown money-grabbers and the hysterical society. He was in no way involved in ?able spending or buying useless buildings. Do I like everything ? Absolutely not Do not like losing big money on rebuilds--- which seems to have been abandoned for demo policy A good move IMO Too hard on poor people trying to maintain a home. With picky preferential code violations also We need tough but fair right now Seems like a guy to start just that unless the power people lay on him Still-not time to turn back now Jmo |
|
Libertarian
MUSA Immigrant Joined: May 09 2013 Status: Offline Points: 37 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Steve -
If HUD were to allow a reduction of 1,000+ S8 vouchers, what would be the impact on the housing market in Ward 2 and parts of Ward 1. With the reduction of vouchers, is it true that current montly market rents for non-subsidized properties are significantly less? Where will the up to 1,000 new renter households come from? How will the reduction of S8 units adversely impact residential property owners? The majority of S8 vouchers added took place (for the most part) prior to the hiring of Marty Kohler. You should speak with Neal Barille and Angela Tucker about that. However, as recently as 2006, Mr. Kohler bragged about the benefits of S8 insofar as rental property reinvestment was concerned. The damage is now done and I have no issue with reducing some of the vouchers. What I do not agree with is the lack of a cost-effective strategy to reclaim our declining neighborhoods. The wrecking ball alone is hardly a comprehensive plan of attack. It is true that quite a few structures warrant demolition. However, surely there must be a more logical approach to accomplishing this goal. Tear it down and they will come is not the answer.
|
|
spiderjohn
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Filling low-end properties with non-productive S8 lifers may not be the answer either--wherever in the city they may be.
The current strain on schools, public safety and the retail business sector has taken a toll that will take a generation to repair(if we ever get started). What we offer now as a community is probably not going to bring new contributing families here, and actually may cause them to look elsewhere with more comfortable demographics. A small splatter of an art district and a couple of decent restaurants is not going to do it either. Trying to force development with continual subsidies hasn't worked either. The only way to make this community attractive and successful again is by changing the demographics imo. The beginning work will be ugly, but necessary. Tough luck for the landlords, but they have milked the govt. dole long enough, at our expense. I am definitely open to a better solution--just lay it out for me. |
|
over the hill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Spider, I think you struck a cord: "Tough but Fair" I think that's all anybody wants.
|
|
Miss Kitty
MUSA Immigrant Joined: Oct 29 2012 Status: Offline Points: 61 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Most of our problems began when we had Bill Becker as a city manager. We lost AK general offices and many more bad things happened because we had a man(A police officer) with NO knowledge on how to run a city. Now we have Judy (who's a joke) investing everything into Downtown and making other crazy decisions. We haven't had a city manager running this city since Ron Olson.
|
|
Libertarian
MUSA Immigrant Joined: May 09 2013 Status: Offline Points: 37 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Vivian, Steve, Terry, Mike and Pacman -
As you know, Mr. Akins had over $3 Million in two separate NSP allocations at his disposal. Despite the fact that he wasted up to $75,000 per individual housing acquisition/rehabilitation project, whatever happened to the funds that were netted from eventual sale of these frivolous undertakings? How much funding is involved? Were these funds diverted to "downtown" projects like the acquisition of the asbestos-laden movie theater on Central Avenue? Or, is he using these taxpayers dollars on more property demolition? What is going on?
|
|
over the hill
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 19 2012 Location: middletown Status: Offline Points: 952 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
That's the questions that has been asked all along, but we can't seem to get answers. The only way to get these answers is probably an outside audit.Every time someone goes to city offices for answers, you get stonewalled and put off.
|
|
LMAO
MUSA Citizen Joined: Oct 28 2009 Location: Middletucky Status: Offline Points: 468 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FAILURE OF COMMUNICATION. All of them are nothing but LIARS. They have been doing it such a long time they have to make up a new lie to cover up another lie. |
|
Pacman
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
|
|
Pacman
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Libertarian, these are questions that should be taken up with the City. I believe one of the reason the Middletown was declared over 50% below poverty level was so that these funds could be used anywhere in the city. You could find the answer to most of these questions on the City's website. Pacman |
|
Pacman
Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Spider, I agree with you 100%. Personally I believe the city needs a "kick ass and take names later" personality to straighten things out. Pacman |
|
Post Reply | Page 12> |
Tweet
|
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |
This page was generated in 0.125 seconds.
Copyright ©2024 MiddletownUSA.com | Privacy Statement | Terms of Use | Site by Xponex Media | Advertising Information |