82 Dover Street house - Demolition permit?

[ron_newman]

The house at 82 Dover Street has a big orange DEMOLITION PERMIT sign in the front window. The house looks good from the outside, so I'm wondering why the owner wants to demo it. Anyone know more about this?

There will be a hearing at the Historic Preservation Commission this Tuesday evening at City Hall. I think they can impose a 9-month delay on demolition if they find that the house should be 'preferably preserved'.

ETA: The Historic Preservation Commission voted on 1/15 to impose a 9-month demolition delay. See this new post.

Comments

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

The house is on a very large lot and was just bought by a developer. My guess is that they want to demo the existing structure and build some sort of multi-unit thing.

[ron_newman]

I found out a little more information:

The hearing at the Historic Preservation Commission this Tuesday is scheduled for 8:15 pm. The Historic Preservation staff found the house to be historically significant, but not sufficiently so to be 'preferably preserved'. If the commission agrees with the staff recommendation, the owner will be free to demolish the house without city-imposed delay.

[gruene.livejournal.com]

Not directly related, but there's a rather run down house that's been "for sale" at the corner of Beacon and Kent some time now. It seems like a prime candidate for demolition and construction of a multi-unit building to me.

[ron_newman]

I lived near there from 1984-92, in the three-decker at Kent and Harrison. Do you mean the small one-family house directly across from P&K Deli? I used to know the lady who lived there. She'd be quite old by now if she's still living.

[gruene.livejournal.com]

Yes, that very house.

It's been for sale for the last few months. I bike past it on my way to work.

[ron_newman]

Looks like she died in 2011, at the age of 94. This is her obituary; also this. I remember her telling me she was once a Rockette.

[amy-s1.livejournal.com]

So he paid one million for a tear-down? Wow, I realize its a big lot but is the lot alone worth a million? Plus he has the cost of the demolition....

Real-estate in our area seems out of control, I have been watching the single family market lately, and at least 4-5 houses went for a million or more in the last 4 months.

[ron_newman]

Where did you find the sale price?

[samcoren.livejournal.com]

Zillow.com is good for finding out the last sold price of a piece of property and current for sale prices - there's also the assessors data base for appraised value and sale records: http://data.visionappraisal.com/SomervilleMA/search.asp

[m-b-w.livejournal.com]

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/82-Dover-St-Somerville-MA-02144/56326908_zpid/

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/82-Dover-St_Somerville_MA_02144_M30575-82093?source=web

[ron_newman]

Thanks!

Unfortunately I cannot attend this hearing, as it conflicts with my monthly Bicycle Committee meeting. The historic preservation staff report recommends NOT imposing a demolition delay. If the Commission agrees with that, the new owner will be free to demolish the house at any time.

The Commission does not have any information about what the owner wants to build in this house's place.

[ron_newman]

An update: the Historic Preservation Commission voted to classify this house as 'Preferably Preserved', which requires a 9-month delay before demolition. New post here.

[ron_newman]

That house, 53 Kent Street, now has its own big orange DEMOLITION PERMIT sign. A Historic Preservation Commission hearing on the house's significance (if any) was scheduled for August 20, but I don't know yet what decision was made. Here's the staff report, which recommended that they find it 'significant'. To my surprise, the house has been there since 1850.

[gruene.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I wonder if the purchaser knew that. It seems like there would be significant costs associated with getting it back into good repair, and you're still left with a very small house. If you let a historically significant property fall in to ruin, can you then tear it down? If so, it seems like an unfortunate loophole.

[ron_newman]

As with 82 Dover, this is just the first step. If the Historic Preservation Commission found it to be significant, the next step is determining whether it is 'preferably preserved' and thus subject to a 9-month demolition delay. Even in that case, the property owner can just wait out the delay if they insist on demolishing instead of doing something more historically sensitive.

ETA 8/29/13: The Historic Preservation Commission did find 53 Kent St to be "significant" at last week's meeting. At their next meeting on September 17, they will decide whether the house should be "preferably preserved" and thus subjected to the 9-month demolition delay.

I'll also add here that the 9-month delay doesn't apply to anything other than demolition. The property owner could still add on to the house, if the zoning otherwise permits this.