Slavin: Reconsider the demolition vote
Activist Ed Slavin, after losing his appeal of partial demolition of Lincolnville's Echo House in an hour-long session before the City Commission Monday, called for reconsideration in an email Tuesday to commissioners.
Among eight points of argument, Slavin wrote that his PowerPoint presentation was not given to commissioners before the meeting and there was no discussion of the city's right of reverter to take back the property if not used for charitable purposes.
He called for "an outside, independent investigation of City staff's omissions of their duties of care and fidelity to law."
Commission newcomers, Mayor Nancy Shaver and Commissioner Todd Neville, showed they were well-prepared to step into an issue with an extensive history of four Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) hearings and previous commission discussions. Shaver queried Slavin's argument that HARB was required to apply Architectural Guidelines for Historic Preservation while the code stated the board could, and Neville referred to several elements of the HARB hearings.
Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline summarized in her motion to deny the appeal that HARB "tried through several meetings" to find a better solution and "they did come to a compromise."
(Ed's note: also challenging failure of anyone to disclose ex parte contacts).
1 comment:
BUT Mr. Slavin established precedent by appealing the decision of a citizen board over staff recommendations.
Speak up! And then speak up again!
Thanks, Mr. Slavin.
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