THE MALDEN ADVOCATE – Friday, July 5, 2019 Page 7 ~ LETTER TO THE EDITOR ~ Regarding impending building demolitions I , Ryan O’Malley, write to correct the record related to the misinformation spread by an individual who recently wrote a letter to the editor of the Malden Advocate regarding the impending demolition of 1 Salem Street (the Teen Center Building) and 15 Ferry Street (Chris Fallon’s former building.) The author, Frank Russell, is a well-known figure in Malden who like me appreciates history and desires to protect our historic landmarks. I applaud him for his work with the Historical Society (of which I have been a member for over a decade) and his assistance to the Historical Commission in drafting and filing petitions to place various Malden landmarks on the Massachusetts Register of Historic Places. Frank and I are no strangers. In fact we have been in close contact for many months now on the topic of the threat of demolition facing 1 Salem Street and 15 Ferry Street. He is someone I have worked with to protect Malden’s proud past and I hope to continue to work with him now and in the future toward achieving that goal. While I think his recent actions are misguided, I understand the value of positivity, forgiveness, and cooperation. As such I will not speak negatively about this individual’s character and reputation; however, I must address the false information for the benefit of the public record. A Clear Track Record of Protecting Historic Landmarks As a longtime member of the Malden Historical Society and as a graduate from the College of the Holy Cross with a degree in Classics, the study of Ancient Rome and Greece, I take the demolition of our historic landmarks very seriously. That is why I have been consistently on the side of historic preservation. The Malden community knows this well. When the First Congregational Church on Pleasant Street was about to be demolished, I led the fight to try and save the structure. I approached the Historical Commission and asked for them to halt its demolition so that alternative uses for the beautiful building could be explored. At the time I was shocked to learn that there was no mechanism available to delay the demolition and save the church. Award-Winning Landscaping Servicing the North Shore for over 38 Years That experience is why in 2018 I worked diligently, as Chair of the City Council’s Ordinance Committee, with then Council President Debbie DeMaria, At-Large Councillor Craig Spadafora and the Historical Commission, lead by the renowned Barbara Tolstrup, to pass an ordinance to protect our historic buildings and landmarks. The result of this proactive collaboration was the Demolition Delay and Historic Facade Protection ordinance (“Demo Delay”) which allows the City of Malden to delay the demolition of historically or culturally significant buildings for up to one year. As a testament to the effectiveness of the new Demo Delay ordinance, the Historical Commission held a public hearing on June 5, 2019 where I spoke passionately against the demolition of 1 Salem and 15 Ferry Street buildings and advocated for a creative way of saving the buildings and their facades. The vast majority of the residents agreed with me on this matter and also voiced their support of saving the buildings and enacting the Demo Delay for the maximum time allowed: one year. We as a community were successful in advocating for the protection of these buildings and the Historic Commission voted to delay their demolition for one year. During this one year period the goal is for the private property owner and the Historical Commission to explore alternative options to avoid the demolition of our community’s significant buildings and landmarks. It is important to understand that compromise is crucial in order for our community to save, and if possible repurpose, historic buildings slated for demolition. If we do not work together to find a reasonable alternative to demolition the property owner would be able to move forward with the demolition once the one year time limit is up. I will repeat this for clarity: we BUILDING | SEE PAGE 22 Lawnmower Tune-Up and Repairs • We repair all makes & models! • Authorized • FREE PICK-UP for all Tune-Ups! all m • We r d K-U makes & mo ma akes & mo D KU for all Tun UP fo Biker’s Outfitter 1039 Broadway, Revere • (781) 289-6466 www.bikersoutfitter.com Dealer NOW BOOKING NEW CUSTOMERS! DON’T WAIT! Call 781-321-2074 Pavers * Walkways * Patios * Driveways * Pool Decks Planting * Perennials * Shrubs * Trees New Lawns * Sod * Hydroseed Flowers/Annuals/Mums * Conventional Seeding * Synthetic Complete Maintenance * Cleanups (Spring & Fall) * Lawn Cutting, Edging & Weeding * Lawn Fertilizer Programs * Trim & Prune Shrubs * Mulching, Thatching Interlock Block * Fire Pits * Sitting Walls * Pillers Landscape Lighting * Design * Install * Repair * Night Illumination
8 Publizr Home