1978-08-21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Request re: Review of decision by the Board of Architectural Review on the First Baptist Church Property demolition permit - GRANI~D owner to renter occupied housing; 4. Conversions from single structures to multi-unit structures; 5. High cost of housing and-rapid price inflation; 6. Adequacy of the volume of new housing construction in the City; 7. In- appropriate zoning; 8. Impact of the University on the local housing market; and '9. The attractiveness of the City as a place for new private housing investments. He gave the following proposals for future City housing policies and programs; 1. Programs to improve the quality of existing residential structures and inadequate conditions; 2. Programs to increase the amnunt of new housing construction in the City; 3. Programs to increase the rate of home · ownership in the City, and to reduce the burden of housing expense to existing low and moderate income home owners; 4. Programs to reduce the burden of housing cost to low and moderate income renter families; 5. Programs to regulate the conversions of existing residential structures from owner occupied to rental status and from single unit to multi-unit s~ructures; and 6. Programs to improve the quality of the general residential environment in specific neighborhoods. The Mayor thanked Mr. Phillips and Mr. Curtis rom the report and referred it to the Housing Authority for consideration. Mr. Thomas Martin, Attorney for Mr. Carl Fisher, addressed the Council and stated that his client had applied for a demolition permit from the Board of Architectural Review in August in order to comply with a request from the City Building Inspector's Office to demolish the church ruins and vacant residences from the former Baptist Church tract on East Jefferson and Third Streets. He~stated the permit was not approved in part and certain points were raised as to the desirability of leaving the two former residences on the land until plans for the replacing structures were completed andl approved. He stated that having been under the impression that the City wished to have the entire block cleared at once and that issurance of a demolition permit was routine he did not make a comprehensive presentation in support of the application for the permit. He than submitted the following information in support of the owners belief that removal of all three structures at this time would be to the mutual benefit of the City and the owner: Tenative time projections anticipate construction beginning during the spring of t97t and if complete demolition can be accomplished priOr to consyruction the lenght of the construction process will be significantly/ shortened: The demolition contractor will do the e~tire job for about one-third less cost if the job is not divided into two operations at separate times: The location of the retaining walls between the residences and the church and the Sunday School Building together with the grade separation creates both safety and esthetic problems;