By Marney Simon | Enterprise Staff
Plans to raze an 1860s era home on Plainfield’s Commercial Street will move ahead, after members of the village board declined to step in to slow the application to demolish the home.
This home on Commercial Street will be demolished. Despite a request to delay the demotion permit by 90 days, the village board this week would not get in the way of demolition plans. Owner Tom Ruane wants to build a new home at the site, but local preservationists argue that the home has historical significance. (Photo by Marney Simon)
On Nov. 5, the board of trustees voted down a motion require a 90-day delay before demolition could proceed at 24115 W. Commercial St. The home’s owner, Tom Ruane, wants to knock down the structure and build a new home for his family.
The village’s demolition ordinance identifies a process for evaluating potential used and alternatives prior to a demolition of properties.
The Historic Preservation Commission has declared the home a contributing structure to the downtown historic area, which prompted the commission to ask the board to consider a 90-day delay before issuing a demolition permit. Those 90 days would be used to determine if an alternative use analysis could be required, which would identify other ways the building could be preserved.
Ruane said costs to renovate and rehabilitate the current home would total more than $191,000.
The home is included in the Historical Urbanized Core Survey prepared in 2005 by ArchiSearch. That analysis noted that the property is not recommended for local or National Register landmark survey but would contribute to an historic district.
“I think the 90-day period is there to encourage a property owner who otherwise hadn’t considered alternatives, a time to investigate the costs of restoration or renovation, or if there were alternative uses,” said Director of Planning Jonathan Proulx. “Staff would say its questionable whether there is significant architectural significance to warrant a delay. We’d ask for the board to make that determination.”
The Historic Preservation Board heard several impassioned pleas for keeping the home as is.
Architect Michael Lambert wrote a letter to the Historic Preservation Commission, noting that the home is representative of the housing stock that was occupied by typical tradesmen and residents of Plainfield in the pre-Civil War era.
Lambert wrote that many historic homes in Plainfield have been razed to make way for more modern structures, a trend that he said could damage the architectural integrity of the village.
But, trustees weren’t convinced that this particular parcel holds much historical value to the village.
“I toured the building back in August, and apparently the building was moved there,” said Trustee Bill Lamb. “It’s not a pre-Civil War 1860s building at all, it was moved there in 1920… The building is in very bad shape, it would take a lot of work to repair it, and I’m not sure it’s worth it. The issues brought up, it really doesn’t justify 90 days wait… This house is not valuable. The property is valuable, but the house is not valuable.”
Other trustees echoed that sentiment.
“Sometimes things are contributing and really have historic significance, and sometimes they’re just old,” said Trustee Margie Bonuchi.
Ruane will be able to apply for his demolition permit this week. Once that application goes through, demolition can begin before the end of the month.