Off the cell phone.
Norwalk: Photos 124 East Ave.
by turfgrrl
August 6th, 2007 · 144 Comments
Tags: In the News · Norwalk
144 Responses so far ↓ “Norwalk: Photos 124 East Ave.”
Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 » Show All
-
“Building permits have been revoked and an investigation is under way.”
I smell a deal in the works for the City to save face, this has got to be considered a huge embarassment. If it’s not, then we have the wrong people working for us.
-
I would out a huge lightning rod on too and hope for a direct hit.
-
All I can say is “Wow”!!
This is totally unbelievable and definitely a slap in the face to the city and its residents. And now we’re stuck looking at another hole in the ground with a fence around it.
Very depressing to work hard to improve the city’s quality of life only to see stuff like this happen.
-
Anonymous 1: The conspiracy theories are tiring. The City, as you put it, was the one who jumped into action to stop the demolition.
-
Agree, turffie. “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” - Isaac Asimov.
This looks to me like a VERY bad screw-up between the contractor and the owner (its hard to believe the owner would deliberately violate the permit conditions when in plain view of City Hall). Having served on the Zoning Commission for 4 years a while ago, I can tell you that such things happen, often over a period of a few hours and before Zoning or Building officials can act.
-
#1 I agree. We do have the wrong people working for us. This just goes to show the people of Norwalk that this is what happens when the powers that be don’t care about anything but their greedy selves and thumb their noses at historic preservation and anything else the taxpayers want.
Our Green is not in keeping with other New England town Greens and instead reflects the mentality of our government for the last 20 years. We will probably get another “House of 1,000 Gables” like the crap already on the River next door.
This comes from the top down! Is this how the mayor supports historic preservation? The fact that these people can thumb their noses at City policy just shows that the new slogan for Norwalk should be, “Norwalk - Do What You Want” (especially if you’re a developer)!!!
-
More drivel from the clueless. The sky is always falling with you people. Not a single one of you has anything constructive to say, just keep on blaming others. No one wants to be associated with chronic negativity. Take a prozac and come back in the morning.
-
#7 The drivel you are spewing shows how clueless you are. The City of Norwalk has LAWS. These people didn’t have a permit to do this.
I guess you would rather have no laws at all in Norwalk and stay in your house all day while the gangs and police shoot it out. Then you would be the one complaining that the “Police aren’t doing their jobs” or “the sky is falling.”
-
#7 Oh by the way, I guess these pictures show the positive things happening in Norwalk.
-
I am sure Mike Greene, other employees of the Zoning Department and the Zoning Commission are as outraged as the rest of us. This does look like a major screw-up by the contractor. Let’s wait to see what the owner has to say and what he plans to do to rectify the situation before we pass judgement. As far as the mayor is concerned, I doubt he would get involved with violating zoning laws - he isn’t stupid. What really surprises me is that the demolition got so far before it was stopped, with all the zoning and building inspectors just across the street someone should have seen what was happening.
-
Not everything should be saved. The Norwalk green is already a street of dubious buildings. Tear down the rest of the building, and move on.
-
So you’re saying, dem4life, that the city should smile and make nice with a developer who violated the law? Well, that’s certainly a rosy outlook…I’m sure we’ll get lots more illegal demolitions that way as soon as it becomes even more widely known that Norwalk is the town where anything goes. We have no standards. Just look around. In fact, the developer probably arleady surmised the the Mayor had the HC and other presrvation folks on the ropes. Can’t do it in Westport? C’mon just over the line and do it to Norwalk. We love ugly.
-
No one has answered my question. Was the current owner notified WHEN HE PURCHASED THE PROPERTY that the building must be retained or restored, or was this something done after the fact. If he purchased the property without restriction, don’t yet to place the burden on him after the fact.
-
#11 I guess you won’t mind another 50 or so Condos on East Avenue, and the 2 cars per unit either.
Maybe the developer will name the development “Condos on the Green.” They can throw in a couple of “affordable units” and the development will be approved to be even bigger than the sawtooth condos next door.
-
Dem4life: I totally disagree. While there is some stupendous ugliness going on up and down East ave, there is nothing gained by letting new ugliness flourish.
Indiga: I think you’ll find that Westport has a greater problem with teardowns that Norwalk does. In fact, it seems the higher the property values, the greater likelihood of the threat of demolitions to historic properties. Whether its mcMansions or commercial it seems many communities are facing this issue.
While I’d like to comment further on the 124 east ave issue, it is under the umbrella of a zoning, so I will not comment much in the way of details. I am not pleased that this happened, and will be addressing it through my role as a commissioner rather than as a blogger. But everyone else should feel free to comment.
-
It is always easier when. you are spending someone else’s money.
-
What was wrong with that building? Nothing that an interior elevator to the second floor wouldn’t have taken care of.
With all due respect, #10 I can’t imagine that the Zoning folks have time to sit and watch what is going on across the street.
-
If the owner was offered enough money from private investors, I am sure he would have made accomodations. It is a matter of economics.
-
The original plan was to save the front building and build a new addition to the rear. There was a demo permit but I don’t think it was for the whole building. Was this building originally a military school for boys?
-
Boy, if the Zoning folks aren’t aware of what’s going on across the street from City Hall then this town is in real trouble.
-
I believe the Military School for boys was on the opposite corner from City Hall - where the Brick office building now sits. It was a very big, old Victorian house - with large porches and fire escapes. If I remember correctlly, 124 was a private residence, as were most of the homes on East Avenue.
-
#20 Judging from the mess right across the street from City Hall, that used to be 124 East Ave., this town is in real trouble!
And nobody who’s salary we all pay as taxpayers noticed? UNACCEPTABLE!!!
-
Glad someone is covering this because the local newspapers, including the new Hard-to-Read® edition of The Hour, are not.
I always wondered where the Military School had been. Maybe now we’ll have a new nondescript office building to supplant another historical property. Who needs more useless houses in the Village Green District? A town can only take so many lawyers and funeral homes who move into them and keep them up…
-
It’s a sad state of affairs when the local newspapers are so intwined with the politicians that we can’t even get the real news. Do they really think they can sweep this one under the rug?
The print in the Hour is about 2 pts. smaller than it was, making it even more impossible to read between the lines and find out what the truth is. I am going to cancel my subscription. I get more news reading this site, than the Hour or the (mainly) Stamford Advocate put together.
-
LOL!!! Talk about your conspiracy theories! #24 takes the cake! The Hour went “small” on the font because it is working in cahoots with the local small potatoes who run this town to actually HIDE THE NEWS!!
LOL!! Unbelievable. We really haven’t come far from Salem’s hangings, have we? Next the cows will be ailing because Aunt Haddie walked by the barn.
Thank you, Mike Lyons, for adding some clear foundation to this thread.
-
Confused, According to the 2006 Assessment Info on the City Website, the property weas purchased on April 19, 2006. Actually, go to the Info page for a good picture of what the facade looked like before the demolition.
The East Avenue Village District Ordinance was last tinkered with on 10/28/05, so yes, the buyer should have known the rules.
-
I thought the Boy’s military school was closer to 91 East Avenue - but that was just a bit before my time.
-
#27 - You may be right - it may be the house on the corner of Bettswood. The one on the corner of Sunset was a school of some sorts. Have to get out that “History of Norwalk in Pictures” book again and look it up.
-
If things keep going like they’re going, the pictures in “History of Norwalk” will be the only historic views remaining in this city.
-
Turffie you are missing my point. Not every building is worth saving. The building is not even on the green. No one here has indicated what made this building worth a historical note of record. It’s time for a dose of reality to enter this debate.
