In order to prevent the demolition of architecturally significant homes in Riverside, the village’s Board of Trustees on March 20 voted 5-0 to ship all demolition applications to the Preservation Commission for review.
Written in response to the continuing trend of older homes being torn down and replaced with new ones, the ordinance provides the village with a mechanism to delay the demolition of a residence that might qualify as a local landmark for a period of up to 12 months.
The law applies only to properties within the village that are zoned for residential use.
“We think the ordinance is in response to the interest of the community to preserve worthy local landmarks,” said Village Manager Kathleen Rush. “Hopefully, this won’t cause a whole lot of delay for houses of no landmark status.”
While the ordinance approved by village trustees has been referred to commonly as the “demolition delay” ordinance, Preservation Commission Chairman Charles Pipal characterized the ordinance not so much as a delaying tactic by the village, but rather a review process that would not seriously delay most demolition permits.
“In the vast, vast majority of cases, there won’t be any delay at all,” Pipal said. “I think ours is a measured response to save those buildings that are most special.”
According to the ordinance, once a property owner applies for a demolition permit, it will be forwarded to the Preservation Commission and reviewed no later than the second regularly scheduled meeting of the commission.
If the commission does not find the building worthy of consideration for landmark status, the permit would be approved as long as all other requirements for the permit are fulfilled.
The ordinance makes clear that the commission can only judge the building on its architectural merit, when trying to determine its status as a landmark.
However, if the commission does find the building worthy of landmark status, then the application would automatically be delayed for one month following the initial review. During that one-month period, anyone in the village can submit an application seeking landmark status for the building.
If someone submits an application for landmark status, then the village’s normal landmark review process will begin, but is limited to a maximum of 12 months from the date the demolition permit was submitted to the village.
Landmark status can only be granted by a vote of village trustees. Once granted, demolition is prohibited unless the property owner can obtain a certificate of appropriateness or a certificate of economic hardship.
It’s the village’s hope that, by implementing the demolition review, they can find an alternative solution to demolition in the few cases that could arise.
The Preservation Commission was instrumental, for example, in finding a new owner for part of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Coonley Estate last fall, when the Cook County Public Guardian, on behalf of the home’s previous owner, submitted an application to put an asphalt roof on the building.
“We’re sure the Preservation Commission would do everything in its power, if it’s a landmark, to preserve the home,” Rush said.
Pipal said the new ordinance wasn’t sparked by the Coonley Estate issue, rather it’s part of the broader trend of teardowns in communities like Riverside.
“It’s linked to what’s going on in places like Hinsdale, Elmhurst and Western Springs, that have similar demographics and housing stock,” Pipal said. “In extreme cases, 30 to 40 percent of the historic stock has been demolished without any type of review.”