Procedural Snafu Delays Decision on Landmark Gas Station

A procedural snafu prevented the from making a decision on a request from the YMCA to rescind the landmark designation for a at Broadway Street and Hartwell Avenue.

Curt Meitz informed the commission that there was a procedure for notifying members of the public, the owners of the property and owners of property within 200 feet of the property about the rescission, requiring a Class 2 notice 20 days before the meeting.

Meitz said he could understand the commission overlooking the procedure because the commission does not deal with it often. The procedure is used when designating of a historic district or landmark site, but it does also apply to rescission, according to Meitz.

Meitz also said that he informed Stan Riffles, YMCA attorney, of the delay. Riffles asked that the proper notice be sent out and that the item be held at the next regular meeting of the landmark commission, first thing on the agenda, according to Meitz.

The YMCA purchased the Bartles-Maguire Gas Station, 422 E. Broadway Ave. in May 2010 as part of its long-term redevelopment plan. However, after the purchase, the Landmark Commission designated the property a local landmark, without the YMCA’s consent and thwarting the redevelopment.

YMCA was asking $152,500 for the property, what it paid for the property in 2010 and lower than its original asking price of $159,900 earlier this summer. Because they haven’t received any “acceptable” offers, the YMCA is petitioning the commission to rescind the landmark status of the property.