The apartment building at 22-24 Chautauqua Place will remain
standing, as Bradford City Council voted 3-to-2 Monday to uphold
its earlier ruling to deny a permit for demolition.
In a special meeting lasting about five minutes, Mayor Michele
Corignani and council members Ross Neidich and Kathy Graff voted to
uphold their previous decision denying the permit.
Council members Tom Shay and Dan Costello voted against it.
Prior to the vote, city solicitor Mark Hollenbeck explained that
the proposed order before council confirmed their decision of Oct.
11. At that meeting, council rejected a recommendation from the
Historic Architectural Review Board which asked that the demolition
be granted.
“A ‘yes’ vote will confirm that decision,” Hollenbeck said. “A
‘no’ vote will overturn your decision. Just so everyone is
clear.”
After the vote, Corignani said the decision was made because of
the historic preservation ordinance.
“The city is a member of a certified local government unit,” the
mayor said, adding their number one job is to “enforce local
ordinances.”
She added that it’s “very important to realize” that $7 million
has come into the city in relation to the historic district.
“The Elm Street program … is a direct tie-in,” she said,
explaining the neighborhood revitalization program dollars are
dependent upon the historic district.
Following the meeting, Robert Costello, manager of Emery Towers,
explained he had to take council’s decision back to Crossgate Inc.,
the management company in charge of the building.
“I have to consult with Crossgate. I don’t know how we’re going
to proceed,” he said.
The only options open at this point are to either appeal
council’s decision to the McKean County Court of Common Pleas or
“backing out of the sales agreement,” Costello said.
The agreement entered into with Church of the Ascension was with
the stipulation that the apartment building be torn down. Emery
Towers wants the space for parking because they have only 16 spaces
for 102 apartments.
Representatives of the church were shaking their heads,
disappointment evident on their faces, as they left the
meeting.
When asked for a comment, junior warden Bill Tremaine said, “You
don’t want to talk to me tonight.”
Shay and Dan Costello were also shaking their heads as they left
the meeting. At last Tuesday’s appeal hearing, Costello put up an
argument for allowing the demolition to proceed, saying common
sense should override some of the city’s regulations.
The church had rented out the five apartments in the building
until the mortgage on the building was paid off, according to
senior warden Debbie Cavagnaro. After that, the tenants were
evicted and the church asked Crossgate if they were interested in
purchasing the property.
Continuing maintenance of the building would prove too costly,
church representatives explained to council at last week’s hearing,
and they want out of the rental business.
The apartment house is listed as a contributing building on the
city’s historical register.
