Historic Preservation Commission Minutes 2008 12 15

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Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes December 15, 2008 Page 4 of 7 Schonbrun stated that the major challenge is that the building is centrally located on the site making it difficult for placing other buildings around it in the limited space. Additionally, it is a two-story building which does not lend itself to use in a nursing facility with patients who have mobility issues. He added that the plans for a skilled nursing facility include three enclosed "campuses" for patient care. There will be no need for meeting or office space. Koertje asked if Schonbrun had asked his architect to find a reuse on the site. Schonbrun stated it was not in the initial charge to the architect, but noted that all information so far has noted the need to maximize the available space on the lot. Koertje asked when construction was estimate to begin. Schonbrun stated that given the state of the economy it would likely be late 2009 or 2010 at the earliest. He added he still needs to go through he City's PUD process as well, so between the planning process and the economy it may be later. Whiteman asked how soon demolition would begin. Schonbrun stated no demolition would take place until the new plans are approved and financing is in place. He added that the building would be available to anyone interested in moving it until new construction is ready to go. McMenamin noted that the building is large enough to be used in a variety of ways and asked if meeting space or storage space would be a possibility. Schonbrun noted that the 2500 square foot footprint of the site is too small for patient care and with all offices housed in another building; they have not found a compatible use for the building. He added that to make the project economically viable it will need a certain number of beds and to reach that number three one-story buildings will be needed which will require most of the space on the site. Tofte thanked Schonbrun for his willingness to work with HPC on saving the building. She noted that the building' is important to the town so if an alternative to demolition could be found, either reusing or moving the building, that would be preferable. Schonbrun stated again he would be happy to give the building to someone willing to move it and that there are no immediate plans for demolition. John Leary, 1116 LaFarge Avenue, stated that the historic significance of the site in undeniable. Given the show of support for preservation as seen in the recent election, the City should step up and find a way to save the building. He stated his hope that a solution can be found. Lewis asked for additional comments, seeing none she closed the public hearing. Lewis reminded members of the criteria by which the application is to be judged: 1. The eligibility of the building for designation as an individual landmark;