Jackson Mayor Frank Melton's plan to demolish almost 80 abandoned and dilapidated structures inside the Historic Farish Street District hit a speed bump today after the Jackson Historic Preservation Commission made clear it was unwilling to approve the mass demolition.
The city put in 49 requests for permission to demolish 79 structures--an unprecedented number of requests according to Ward 2 commission member Terrence Mosley. Jackson Code Enforcement Director Joe Lewis said the buildings needed to come down because they were a safety hazard and encouraged crime in the area.
Acting upon the advice of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, however, commission members were loathe to approve the mass obliteration for fear of jeopardizing the district's historic designation.
Ward 1 commission member Wayne Timmer said the homes themselves were not the center of the crime problem in the district.
"Demolishing houses is not the answer to the city's crime problem. ... To say that tearing houses down is the answer--nobody's been able too prove that to me. The city needs a plan to handle crime ... We can't just say, 'Let's tear it all down.' Once the houses are gone, we've found we've lost our historic resources," Timmer said.
Ward 6 commission member Ben Mokry said he was hesitant to approve any request by the city to remove the structures because the city had not yet explained what it would do with the newly emptied lots to preserve the district's designation.
"We still don't know the (city's) plan. ... I feel like we should expect more," Mokry said. "Our goal is to preserve the district."
The historic designation allows developers who want to renovate in the area to reclaim about 51 percent of their renovation costs through state and federal tax relief, as well as opening access to some grants. The district had about 800 homes at the time of its historic designation. That number has since dropped to about 400, through neglect, weather, vandalization and arson. Commission members say the district risks its designation if it loses too many of the historic properties comprising it.
"If we wake up and lose the district, that's our concern," said Mosley.
The commission managed to address less than 20 of the city's individual requests, unanimously or nearly unanimously denying most.
Lewis complained that removing the properties would help the city deal with crime in the area.
"Ask people in areas where we've torn down houses and they'll tell you that we've done them a huge service. The properties here are not safe and they encourage crime," Lewis argued.
Ward 7 commission member John Weaver said it was not the preservation commission's job to deal with the city's crime problem, however, but to preserve the district.
"The people of the city (government) in charge of the problems in the area should address the issues. That's not what we do," Weaver said.
Melton announced in early April that he intended to demolish more than 30 dilapidated homes on Farish Street and the Cohea Street area, adding in a May administration meeting that he had an unnamed developer who wanted to renovate the Cohea Street homes and then move them to the coast for Katrina victims.
"There's a gentleman who wants to come in and move every house out of there ... If I didn't misunderstand him, he'd going to pay the city $2,000 per house to move them," Melton said.
Melton never named the developer looking to relocate the Cohea Street homes, but he made the Cohea demolition a high priority to make way for new construction he said was slated for July. The commission vote delays the mayor's summer plan.
Commission member Coleman Lowry said the Jackson City Council could override the commission, but Council President Ben Allen said he did not know how the council would vote.
"A majority of the council doesn't want to lose the historic designation, but we also know we got a huge problem with abandoned property over there," Allen said. "This is a new development, and we'll have to consider that before I can answer."
Tucked away among the crowd of 79 targeted structures was A-1 Pallets.
Melton virtually declared war on the pallet recycling company in May, saying he wanted the business torn down and removed by the end of the year. Melton said the business, which once housed an old soybean mill, is an eyesore and breaks numerous city codes. Lewis wrote the business up for violations in May, saying the business had blocked doors, an inaccessible fire lane, broken windows and pigeons, among other problems.
A-1 Pallet owner Charlotte Reeves was at the commission meeting and prepared to argue against the city's request, but the commission had tabled the A-1 Pallet item until July 10 at its June 13 work session.
"We're a legitimate business, and we have a right to be in business," Reeves said. "No, this isn't a pretty place, but we've cut the grass, we've hired security, and the health department says we're OK. Personally, I just wish the city would leave us alone."
Reeves will address her company's alleged code violations at a June 19 City Council meeting.
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