Plainfield board debates need for study
PLAINFIELD -- Plans for a new office building in the heart of town are moving forward.
Local businessman Vince Fazio is planning to demolish the building on the northwest corner of Lockport Street and Route 59, which houses several businesses including his own, and construct a new office building there.
The village's Historic Preservation Commission recommended Fazio conduct a partial community impact study, to further research the architect and architecture of the house, before the village authorizes the demolition.
Community impact studies analyze topics such as what effect a demolition would have on the property and the neighborhood; whether the buildings could be restored and at what cost; and how much tearing them down and building a new building would cost.
The house may have been designed by architect Herbert Cowell, who lived in Plainfield. Cowell also designed the First Baptist Church, which was located at the same intersection but demolished in 2004, and Plainfield High School, which was also at the same intersection but razed in 1968.
"This is a building that is beyond reasonable repair. This is not a designated landmark," said Trustee Garrett Peck. "In this situation, an impact study would be a burden, it would be a waste of time."
Trustee Jim Racich pointed out it would be cheaper for Fazio to raze the building without a permit and pay the $750 fine than it would to conduct the study.
"Why should we as a village penalize a developer $5,000 for a study, when he's going to say I'm going to take it down? It would be in the developer's best interest to take it down and pay the fine."
Fazio's proposed concept is for a 19,740-square-foot, three-story building with space for a restaurant or retailer on the first floor and offices above.
The edges of the building along Lockport Street and Route 59 would be two stories, with the third story set back from the street.
The former gas station and two houses at Route 59 and Route 30 were scheduled for demolition in October 2007.
But a potentially historic house there prompted village officials to require the property owner to conduct a community impact study.
As part of the study, the property owner would have to detail plans for redevelopment. At that time, there was no redevelopment plan as the site was simply for sale. The study was not done, and the demolition did not proceed.
In April 2008, a developer wanted to raze two houses on Main Street to make way for a new office building.
Village staff said one house was built around 1860 and that a consultant had recommended it be included in several potential local historic districts.
The developer, who did not believe the house had historic value, balked at conducting the costly study.
