Tonight will be the last council meeting where the council members will be actually voting to do something. From here on in it is the countdown to the November 6th election. Naturally, like anything else, council members are making decisions much more rapidly about what to do, just in case they won’t be coming back. Tonight there are two issues, the Demolition Delay ordinance, and the Mill Hill Historic District Study Committee that are attracting attention due to last minute pace of introduction.
Common Council members appear divided on whether to double the city’s demolition delay period and create a local historic district at Mill Hill Historic Park.
Or, at minimum, upon whether to vote upon the proposals tonight.
The council’s Ordinance Committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposed 180-day demolition delay at 6 p.m. The Recreation, Parks & Cultural Affairs Committee is set to take up the historic district matter at 7 p.m. Both items are on the council agenda. The council meets at 8 p.m.
“I just think that we’re jamming down two major items in not enough time,” said council Minority Leader Richard A. McQuaid, a Republican. “I can’t see how we’re going to get everybody on the same page within an hour. You know there’s going to be questions on both (proposals).”
At issue is whether the city should double its demolition delay period from 90 to 180 days, and if the city should explore creating a local historic district out of Mill Hill Historic Park off East Wall Street.The city’s current demolition delay ordinance, adopted in 1984 and amended in 2003, provides guidelines by which a demolition can be delayed for 90 days, during which time property owners and preservationists are encouraged to find alternatives to demolition.
The ordinance applies to structures 50 years and older.
That’s not necessarily historic, according to Mayor Richard A. Moccia.
“I have some reservations, if they don’t (also) raise the limit from 50 (years),” said Moccia, a Republican. “I don’t think 50 (years) is historical. I’d like to see it go to 100, but I think at least 75 is a good compromise.”
Moccia added that he had additional questions, such as whether property owners should be granted tax abatements on their properties during demolition delays.
Like most games, there’s a strategy to run out the clock on making changes. There’s also a strategy to play to the last second. Those tactics will be on display tonight. It’s too bad that the intensity of government needs an impending deadline to spur debate and discussion.
source: The Hour, Mill Hill historic district plan goes before 2 council committees tonight By ROBERT KOCH, October 23, 2007
