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6 Federal Court - C of H application - demolish carriage house PUBLIC COMMENT F ¢ Preservation at work HISTORIC SALEM INC September 4, 2019 Salem Historical Commission 90 Washington Street Salem, MA 01970 RE: Carriage House Demolition Application Dear Members of the Salem Historical Commission: Historic Salem recognizes the important authority given to the Salem Historical Commission to deny a demolition application-taking into account both preservation of historically significant properties as well as neighbor's concerns. We support the work of the Commission and appreciate the complexity of this situation. Historic Salem is concerned about the precedent that may be set by allowing an owner to demolish a building which has been neglected by the same owner. We also believe nothing is really beyond saving if there are creativity, vision, and available resources. We have seen how carriage houses have traditionally been used for desirable housing and are valuable extant remnants of earlier times. We encourage the owner to consider alternatives to demolition and offer our support and expertise. Sincerely, r 2L- Tim Jenkins, President 9 North Street V.O. Box 965 1 Salem. MA 01970 V 978.745.0799 1 F 978.744.453E info,a,,historicsalem.org I www.historicsalent.org Patricia Kelleher From: Graham, Dan <Dan.Graham@tufts.edu> Sent: Wednesday, September 4, 2019 3:16 PM To: Patricia Kelleher Subject: Re: Demolition of Carriage House at 6 Federal Ct Dear Patti, I hope this email finds you well. I am writing out of concern for the proposed demolition of the carriage house at 6 Federal Ct. My wife and I have only been Salem residents since November 2018, and coincidentally, the most affordable option for us to buy a home in Salem was a carriage house a couple streets over from Federal Ct on N Pine St. Salem's carriage houses are each incredibly unique spaces that should be well-maintained and preserved rather than subjected to long bouts of neglect. I do not know what can be done to save the structure in question at 6 Federal Ct., but I do feel strongly that far less destructive options should be considered instead of the proposed demolition after years of disuse. Time permitting, I plan to attend tonight's SHC meeting, but nonetheless wanted to express my views via email. Thanks for your time. Regards, Dan Graham Dan Graham, PhD Lecturer of First-Year Writing Department of English, Tufts University Patricia Kelleher From: jbkf <jbkf@aol.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 4, 2019 1:49 PM To: Patricia Kelleher Subject: Citizen comments on application to SHC or hardship certificate to demolish former Shreve carriage house To the Salem Historical Commission: I urge the Commission to deny the application of hardship relative to the former Shreve carriage house off Federal Street and Federal Street Court, but also to use all available means to find a fair and equitable solution to prevent the loss of this outstanding building. If such actions may extend further than the Commission's usual involvement, that is perhaps because situations such as this one are fortunately quite rare. As such they deserve to be handled with as much thoughtfulness and support as possible. It is certainly difficult to understand how any owner of a historic structure could allow it to go to ruin. It is even more difficult when the owners bear one of the most distinguished names in Salem history and even American history. If the treatment this beautiful Second Empire structure has received were applied more broadly, every historical building in Salem could be reduced to a dilapidated shell in just a few decades. Salem would forever lose the character on which its economy now depends. And yet in Salem's historic districts such treatment is very rare. The reason why is not hard to see. For most families, their real property is by a wide margin their largest asset. If those who own historic structures find them expensive to maintain, most would find it positively ruinous to let them decay into inhabitability. The rule of thumb is, if you can afford to let it rot, you can afford to find a way to preserve it. If the structure in question is not actually a home, it is also true that it is not merely an incidental appendage to one, but rather a structure acquired and added to the property by the home's former owner. This intentionality raises the bar for expectations of preservation, and equally reinforces the sense that any hardship must in the larger sense be self-inflicted. Family dynamics often play a role in such cases, and though I do not have(or desire to have)any knowledge about the nature or extent such dynamics may have played in this case, I urge the Commission to consider that the stewardship of historical structures has never been simply about money. If one cannot afford to care for something oneself, one finds other means. If a property has fallen into such disrepair that it arguably cannot be restored, one seeks to find a way to rebuild it. That is what stewardship means. One may claim it was unwise or unfortunate for this carriage house to have been separated from its original property, to have been purchased by an owner who neglected it, or to have failed for whatever reason to later be reattached to the original property, where today it might form another unit within that superbly renovated building's condominium trust--at a time when "more housing" is on everyone's lips. Yet none of that changes the conversation that needs to happen at this point. We are talking about a unique structure in a unique city, and about a loss that if permitted can never be recovered. More importantly, we are talking about what stewardship in Salem means, and what a historic district in Salem means. Does it mean that the owners agree--on their own behalf and that of future generations --that their private property has public value, to their neighbors and the city in general, and that this value confers both honors and obligations of a very serious nature?Or does it simply mean that owners of historic properties need to do as much as they feel they can do, but if it becomes difficult, they are absolved of their obligation and free to take whatever steps are most convenient or beneficial? I do not doubt that the current owners of the property feel keenly the injustice of being held responsible for the actions of earlier generations. But the city feels it as well, and so do many owners of historic properties in Salem. We urge the owners and the Commission to work together to find an alternative to demolition, and we further urge the owners to reach out to the neighborhood. They too have a stake in this, and a tradition of helping their neighbors to the extent possible. Josiah Fisk 358 Essex Street 1 Patricia Kelleher From: Christopher Polak <leo3camp@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 3, 2019 6:48 PM To: Patricia Kelleher Subject: 6 Federal Court carriage House Please do what you can to retain this piece of history. Thank you. Christopher Polak 20 Hancock Street Salem 1 Patricia Kelleher From: J L <jasonplang@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 3, 2019 4:02 PM To: Patricia Kelleher Cc: Christine Madore Subject: Carriage House at 6 Federal Court (aka Capt.John P Felt House) Dear Ms. Kelleher, I'm writing to you with regard to the demolition request before the Salem Historical Commission for the carriage house at 6 Federal Court (aka Capt. John P. Felt House). As a citizen of Salem with an appreciation for the wonderful and rich history of our city, I ask that the Commission deny this request. I take this stance because carriage houses represent a type of building that is fading from today's Salem. They come from another time, and owners must make ever effort to preserve them as part of the fabric of the homes they have purchases within a historic district. Why has this particular carriage house been allowed to deteriorate to its current state? When you buy a property in a historic area - particularly one like the McIntire District - you are not only agreeing to purchase the property, but to become a steward of a piece of history. Salem lost so many of its historic buildings because of the great fire. We must make every effort to preserve those that are still standing. Property owners must not take the easy way out by simply choosing to demolish properties without first making efforts to restore them. Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinion on this matter. I hope that something can be done to not only preserve this carriage house, but to bring it back to life. Sincerely, Jason Lang Salem Resident i Patricia Kelleher From: Arielle Waite <arielle.waite@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 3, 2019 11:46 AM To: Patricia Kelleher Cc: Christine Madore Subject: Carriage House at 6 Federal Court Dear Patti, I wanted to voice my concern over the request to demolish the carriage house at 6 Federal Court that will come before the Salem Historical Commission tomorrow evening. While I am very aware of the state of disrepair the carriage building has been allowed to fall into over the last many years, I do not believe that Salem should lose this amazing and beautiful example of a 19th c.carriage house.The owner sites hardship as the reason for wanting to demolish,so I believe that other options should be allowed to the owner instead - perhaps sectioning off the carriage house from the rest of the property to be sold,conversion to housing, etc. Part of choosing to purchase a home in a historic district needs to include the ability to maintain properties that are of historic value to the community.While I know first hand the extra strain this can this place on owners (as an owner in the McIntire district myself)for historic repairs, it should not have come as a surprise to the owner that failing to maintain the property would result in an unsafe structure, and they need to find a way to either make the repairs or sell it to someone who can. Allowing owners to ignore historic buildings until they fall into a state of disrepair that is not salvageable so that they can demolish them threatens the entire historic district and the living history of Salem. Thank you, Arielle Waite McIntire District Resident Arielle Waite arielle.waite@gmail.com 1 Patricia Kelleher From: Jennifer Rousseau <jenniferlrousseau@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 3, 2019 9:44 AM To: Patricia Kelleher Cc: Christine Madore Subject: Carriage house at 6 Federal Court demolition request opposition Good morning, I can't attend tomorrow night's Historical Commission meeting, so I am writing to express my opposition to and frustration with the owner of 6 Federal Court's request to demolish the carriage house at that address due to hardship. A great irony of the Commission is that it has significant authority when it comes to property owners who seek to improve their properties and try to do the right thing when it comes to historic preservation, but less when it comes to irresponsible owners who simply let their buildings fall apart,either because they don't care or are trying to avoid the rules that come along with living in a protected historic district. According to the Commission's Guidelines Notebook: "Approval of a Certificate of Hardship must not affect the historic district in general, must be without substantial detriment to the public welfare and must not cause departure from the intent and purposes of the Historic Districts Act.The Commission will not approve a Certificate of Hardship in instances where the hardship was self-created (i.e.financial burden to undo work performed that had not been approved by the Commission)." The demolition of this historic carriage house would be both a detriment to the neighborhood and depart from the intent and purposes of the Historic Districts Act.You don't have to look far in our neighborhood to see the beautiful potential for re-use these structures hold. In addition,the history of neglect at this property is no secret.The owner should not be allowed to benefit from their self-created hardship and the Commission should not sanction such behavior by granting the demolition request. Doing so would set a dangerous precedent for other irresponsible owners and run the risk of losing more historically significant structures to the sands of time and the hands of neglect. Thank you, Jennifer Rousseau Kiefer 13 Chestnut St,Salem, MA 01970 1 Patricia Kelleher From: crosmailer@civicplus.com on behalf of Contact form at City of Salem MA <crosmailer@civicplus.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 4, 2019 12:49 PM To: Patricia Kelleher Subject: [City of Salem MA] Please save the carriage house (Sent by Kathleen Cullen, cullen_km@comcast.net) Hello pkelleher, Kathleen Cullen (cullen_km@comcast.net) has sent you a message via your contact form (https://www.salem.com/user/5796/contact) at City of Salem MA. If you don't want to receive such e-mails,you can change your settings at https://www.salem.com/user/5796/edit. Message: I am writing the Historical Commission to express my dismay at the proposal before you tonight requesting to demolish the carriage house off of Federal Street.This house is in its current condition due to the neglect of its owner.To now reward said owner by allowing its demolition, is just wrong on so many levels. Once pieces of our collective history and historic architecture are lost,they are gone forever. Please deny the request. Respectfully, Kathleen Cullen Forrester Street i Patricia Kelleher From: ALEXANDER MARKS <alexandermarks@mac.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 3, 2019 11:07 AM To: Patricia Kelleher Subject: Carriage House and Brick building by Ropes Dear Patricia, I am writing as a resident of Botts Court to say that both the brick building and carriage house are a delightful and meaningful part of my neighborhood.The feel of passing through the ropes garden on to federal court is a special alternative to the main roads-a walk back in time. I have spent many hours in this space and have come across several tourists who feel the same. I have a photo of an egret on top of the brick building peering down at the ropes fish pond. Many tourists took a photo with me, marveling at the historic brick backdrop. I do share concerns that a dilapidated carriage house can pose risks, such a fire, but I do think that with ownership comes a certain responsibility. In this case the adjacencies speak to an historic, well visited residential destination. Context must matter to a certain degree when owning a parcel and its structures-especially a contiguous neighborhood so well preserved-a rarity in the US. I can only hope that the commission reminds the city and the owner of this fact, and that they can somehow find a way to move forward. Perhaps the owner can be incentivized to either sell or at least further reduce fire hazard dangers at the carriage house? In my conversations with the building inspector regarding 18 Chesnut, he made clear that an abandoned building isn't as much of a fire risk as one might think. Often fire is associated more so with people and belongings within.That said,the abandoned nature is certainly risky and I respect that. I just hope that it does not come to demolition as the solution. I own a home built in 1740 that costs a premium to repair and maintain. If I felt I could not handle it anymore, I would sell it to another. I think hardship needs to be considered very carefully. Thank you in advance for your consideration, Alex Marks 7 Botts Sent from my Whone 1 Patricia Kelleher From: Nathan Ritsko <nathan.ritsko@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 3, 2019 7:20 AM To: Patricia Kelleher Cc: Ashley Poage; nathan.ritsko@gmail.com Subject: Destruction of Carriage House at 6 Federal Court Patti: We are writing as a residents of Salem to express our deep concern over the request to demolish the historically significant carriage house at 6 Federal Court. I understand the owning family is filing this request due to "hardship,"yet my understanding is that this same owning family has failed to maintain this carriage house over many years,thereby creating this situation for themselves. Hardship due to self imposed neglect is not hardship at all. This is negligence and carelessness toward Salem's historical structures,which once they are gone, they are forever lost. I am writing to strongly request that this request to demolish the carriage house at 6 Federal Court be denied. To do otherwise would set a low bar for future requests due to negligence parading as hardship, which would increase the likelihood that historically significant structures are destroyed in the future. Nathan Ritsko Ashley Poage 1 Patricia Kelleher From: James Sullivan <jamesjansullivan@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, September 2, 2019 10:25 PM To: Patricia Kelleher Subject: 6 Federal Ct. Dear Ms. Kelleher, I am writing as a neighbor(though not an abutter)to register my opposition to the demolition of the Joseph Felt House carriage house. I am not sure what weight such opposition carries, but I don't think neglecting a property then asking to demolish should be permitted... Let me know if you have any questions about this email. Thank you! James Sullivan 374 Essex Street 7733159380 Sent from my Whone i