I recieved some news last night concerning the Village of East Davenport. My parents owned a business in the Village in the mid ’70s so this news got my attention. It looks like someone wants to modernize the Village by tearing down a historic building at 1125 Jersey Ridge Road to erect a modern building complete with 4 garage doors facing the street. The owner is trying to bypass the Historic Comission by bringing the issue before the City Council at the June 17 meeting at 5:30 pm. If you’re not doing anything this could be an interesting meeting to attend.
Rumor is this is the same person who wanted a 42 car parking lot in Lindsay Park. I remember walking into Happy Joes Pizza Parlor to get “Joe” to fill a spot in a little baseball game, and he did. It was just a last minute game with some business owners, local kids, and whoever wanted to play. I couldn’t tell you which team won, but the
memory is priceless.
I personally feel the Village needs these historic buildings. It wouldn’t have been the same if Octoberfest was held between a bunch of slab-sided boxes. Lately we’ve been hearing all this talk about things to make our city a “destination”. The Village of East Davenport IS a destination and deserves the attention. I don’t want to lose all the events that are held each year in the Village.
If you can’t make the meeting; call the Alderman’s secretary at 888-2070 and ask her to leave a note in your Alderman’s mail box along with the Mayor’s. Let them know we don’t want our historic village buildings demolished or a parking lot in Lindsay Park. Let’s keep this part of our history alive for our grandkids enjoyment.
Comments are always welcome.
If somebody wants to tear something down and redevelop it, they should start with the strip mall west of Mound along River Drive. This house looks pretty good on the assessor’s site, kinda like the house the church tore down last year…
If that is what the owner wants, I hope he gets the business that he wants. To me, sticking a modern building in the Village would not be a good fit for the area and would decrease the value that brings the customers.
QCI,
That little mall looked shabby when the gas station was still on the corner.
Nitrous55,
Some are afraid if he tears down the historic house that he will put in condos and try to get away with saying it it his home. I’ve been enjoying the area since the 60′s and don’t think the parking lot is a
good fit either.
The guy that wants to tear down 1125 Jersey Ridge has already gone before the Historic Commission and his request to demo the property was denied. His reasons for the demo request was that the property is in poor condition and was losing money as a rental property. As his request for demo was denied he now has to take it before the city counsel.
I think that the requestor is the same gut that owns the old 11th Street precinct.
Maybe we could get a commission to ok all work on private property. To me, the owner of property has the right to do pretty much whatever he or she wants to do with it.
ANONYMOUS,
Thanks for sharing that, and he does own that business.
Nitrous55,
There should be something to say whatever you build fits the area, especially when it is in a historical district. At one time there were eight bars in the two block area down there.
According to the assessor’s site, its owned by JW VILLAGE LLC. The guy who you guys are talking about is named John Wisor, so the JW part makes some sense, but it could theoretically be a coincidence.
In my opinion, if you buy something historic, or in a historic district, you should know what you’re getting into as far as extra requirements.
QCI,
It’s not a coincidence. He also owns the 11th Street Precint bar. And I agree, it doesn’t make sense to buy a house in a historic district just to tear it down to build a new one.
I still say you can pretty much do whatever you want with your property. It is the same with the smoking ban. I’d ask the historical society and those who want to keep the old buildings to buy them up, but that would be a lost cause.
Cruiser, don’t you do construction? How about you give him a discount on fixing up the place?
Nitrous55,
I agree to a point, at the end of the day I like to get along neighbors. One of the main bones of contention, and the rumored reason the Historical Society said no is that Mr. Wisor wouldn’t submit a floor plan for the new building. If he is indeed planning on putting modern condos in a historical residential neighborhood I think he’s crossing the line. Yes I do construction, but people like this can’t afford me.
WOW. You guys seem short sighted on so many levels. The owner purchased the property, then designates it historic….Why was it not hisotric before???? Then when the owner wants to build a new house, creating BADLY needed jobs and revenue for the city, people want to stop it. If the city wants it so bad, why doesn’t the historical society refurbish it for the owner, or BUY it from him. I only hope that in the name of justice, you people spend your hard earned money to purchase something and after your money is tied up, let the city come and tell you that you cant do it…Oh, and by the way, I have driven by this house, I am not sure what criteria is used to “deem” something historic…..And if you want businesses to thrive, hire, and survive in the Village, you may want to work with them, not against them…
Cruisin2……If you do construction, and “people can’t afford you”, why don’t you go to the owner out of the goodness of your heart and use your “construction skills” to help him out and restore it, and send the bill to the city/historical society……Oh, thats right, they don’t have the money, but as good a christian as you sound, you should put a few of your hard earned shekels to put it in good order.
Louis Manzano,
Nothing short sighted about it. Why buy a house in an area know for the fact that all the houses are owner-occupied and built around the late 1800′s only to tear it down to erect a rental property? It wouldn’t fit in the area. And what I said in the post is “people like this can’t afford me”. I’m actually more than reasonable on my rates unless I don’t like the people I’m dealing with or the situation I’d be putting myself into.
Why do you believe that the owner is going to erect rental property? The owner may intend to erect a new home. For this, I don’t believe government should have this control. I have lived in Mexico where the government dictates to the people, and it is not a good practice. I am proud to be a naturalized citizen because the freedoms and opportunities this country provides are special, and sometimes natural born American citizens seem to forget this.
The city has the right to look at his plans and refuse a building permit if the new construction does not “fit” in the area. As far as changing your price based upon whether you like someone…..Please refer to websters definition of business ethics:
Moral principles concerning acceptable and unacceptable behavior by business people. “Executives are supposed to maintain a high sense of values and conduct honest and fair practices with the public.”
The ethical thing for you to do when you dont like the “people” you would be doing work for, it just to refuse the job, not adjust your price….
It appears that discrimmination is commonly practiced by you and your company if this is how you set your prices…Is there a special price for the color of your skin, religeon practiced, or amount of education they may have, just because YOU don’t LIKE or agree with them?
Louis Manzano,
I’m glad you became a naturalized citizen because it is a great country. As for why I thought it would be a rental property, the layout of the plans didn’t make sense for a single family home. I have refused to do work many times but there were also instances where I was almost forced to submit a bid. If I know the property owner, neighbors, or city are going to pain the entire job I feel I have a right to bid whatever I want when pushed into a corner. Ethics had nothing to do with this decision because I wouldn’t let the people I work with go through the hassle either.
Cruisin2,
In America, I find it hard to believe anyone is “forced to submit a bid”, but I think it would be more ethical not to submit a bid if you don’t want to perform the job. But, I digress back to the initial issue….
I read other articles, and they say, he did not show the city any plans on what he wants to do with it, So, how did “you” see the plans? And if an architect drew up plans that are custom for someone, why would they have to make “sense” to you?????? I also read what makes this home historical: “The home is a “fairly good example” of the Queen Anne architectural style.” In my opinion, it is either Queen Anne or it is not Queen Anne Architecture. If I were the owner, I would file against the Historical Society asking what “criteria” they are using to deem something “Historical” as they seem to be playing “fast and loose” with the rulebook, cause “fairly good example” sounds like someone is trying to push their own agenda when the applicable rules don’t really apply.
It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so if the plans that the owner has are “beautiful” to him or her, it does not have to make “sense” to you…..That is the great thing about this country and the freedoms that the Constitution allows it citizens to practice. To learn from one of our founding fathers:
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness
-Thomas Jefferson
I hold it that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political
world as storms in the physical. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government.
-Thomas Jefferson
The man bought the house, let him use his liberty, and persue his happiness by building his new house.
My 2 Cents
Luis Manzano,
I don’t remember where got a peek at the plans but I seem to remember a five-car garage facing front with a building on each end of the garage. It didn’t strike me as any single family layout I’d seen. We homeowners don’t have as much freedom with our property as some think. We tried to get another garage in our back yard and had so many hassles we finally gave up the project.
We’ll have to agree to disagree as I feel you don’t buy a house in a historic district, tear it down, and then build an ultra-modern eyesore.