Historic house plan heading to planning commission
Though Madeira city council hasn't decided if the city will sell or keep two historic houses, planning for the properties is moving forward.
Madeira Economic Development Committee agreed Sept. 4 to recommend to council selling the houses with a restricted covenant, or deed restrictions. Council did not make a decision Sept. 8 regarding the Hosbrook and Muchmore houses.
However, council did approve the committee's recommendation to send its goals for use plan on to the Madeira Planning Commission to create a framework for how the city would like to move forward.
"I think we can do all the things that we have as goals whether the properties are sold or not. I'm having a hard time seeing the benefit of making the decision before we have some kind of planning effort to see what these options might be," Mayor Mike Steur said.
Though members of council expressed concerns about starting planning while the sale decision has not been made and before the upcoming ballot initiative, the motion passed 7-0.
City Solicitor Bob Malloy attended the committee meeting and explained how the city could use a restricted covenant to control what happens to the houses if they are sold to a new owner.
"Anything I say there are going to be limits and ceilings. The burden is on the drafting on it. You can get down to architectural features and how you want it preserved. There are all levels, but everything has to be agreed on by both parties," Malloy said.
Council did approve the committee's three goals for the property; optimize not maximum economic benefit to the community, stimulate consumer spending and preserve unique character of downtown.
More specific objectives and plans for the houses are not yet set in stone, Councilwoman and Committee Chair Nancy Spencer said. They included integrating historic features, having publicly accessible green space, allowing for interior renovations and keeping the street view on Miami Avenue.
"Sale of these properties could make these goals more able to be realized because somebody else has more knowledge, more resources to be able to bring the vision to fruition and have the city, who is not very good at doing this, step away from it," committee member and Vice Mayor Melisa Adrien said at the council meeting.
The committee had planned to define the objectives, with the help of the planning commission, as part of the restrictive covenant if council had approved the recommendation for sale.
"There is no urgency on the sale part," Steur said.
The city has been working on making a decision about the houses at 7010 and 7014 Miami Avenue since March. The city owns the houses and rents them to the Madeira Woman's Club, which operates the Clothes Closet out of the Hosbrook House, and to Christine Parker, owner of Creativities in the Muchmore House.
Councilman and representative to the planning commission Rob Steier said the commission will talk about the houses at its next meeting Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. at city hall.
Members of the woman's club at the council meeting expressed their frustration that the Clothes Closet's future is still uncertain. The city has discussed that if it keeps the houses the rent might be increased to meet market value.
Spencer said the city would appreciate the woman's club submitting a proposal for the property when the time comes, but acknowledged that it would be difficult for the nonprofit.
"It may be difficult to deliver on all the goals for use if (the Clothes Closet) was to remain in there as it is today and that would be something to consider when submitting an updated proposal," Spencer said.
Historic house time line
1898: Hosbrook House is built.
1900: Muchmore House is built.
1989: Cleo Hosbrook deeds the houses to the city.
1994: The Madeira Woman's Club moves into the Hosbrook House.
2010: Creativities opens in the Muchmore House.
2012: The city of Madeira creates the Muchmore Historic Area, which the houses are in, to preserve history and promote economic development.
May 2013: A group of Madeira citizens start collecting signatures to make the Muchmore Historic Area a "historic district."
March 10, 2014: Madeira City Council decides making a decision about the houses will be a main focus for 2014.
March 24: City received report stating $157,000 worth of repairs is needed on the houses.
April 9: Economic Development Committee starts discussing the houses.
May 28: EDC decides maximizing economic benefits and maintaining Madeira's charm will be the two goals moving forward.
July 9: EDC holds business meeting to get input from business owners near the houses. Only 15 people attend.
July 14: A group of Madeira citizen turn in a petition for a ballot amendment to make the houses and the train depot part of a "historic district."
July 28: City council approves the amendment being added to the ballot, despite Law Director Bob Malloy saying it is not enforceable because the city does not have a historic district and the amendment does not create one.
Aug. 4: The city sends out an online survey to get resident feedback about the houses.
Aug. 5: EDC holds public meeting about the houses. More than 100 people attend and the majority wanted the current businesses to stay.
Aug. 18: City's survey closes after 845 responses were sent in.
Aug. 21: Creativities owner Christine Parker creates a replica of the survey to send to her customers. She said she was told the survey closed on Aug. 23.
Sept. 4: EDC decides to recommend the houses being sold with a restrictive covenant.
Sept. 8: Council doesn't vote on sale recommendation, but sends goals for use to the Planning Commission.
Want to know more about what is happening in Madeira? Follow Marika Lee on Twitter: @ReporterMarika
Historic house time line
1898: Hosbrook house is built.
1900: Muchmore house is built.
1989: Cleo Hosbrook deeds the houses to the city.
1994: The Madeira Woman's Club moves into the Hosbrook house.
2010: Creativities opens in the Muchmore House.
2012: The city of Madeira creates the Muchmore Historic Area, which the houses are in, to preserve history and promote economic development.
May 2013: A group of Madeira citizens start collecting signatures to make the Muchmore Historic Area a "historic district."
March 10, 2014: Madeira City Council decides making a decision about the houses will be a main focus for 2014.
March 24: City received report stating $157,000 worth of repairs is needed on the houses.
April 9: Economic Development Committee starts discussing the houses.
May 28: EDC decides maximizing economic benefits and maintaining Madeira's charm will be the two goals moving forward.
July 9: EDC holds business meeting to get input from business owners near the houses. Only 15 people attend.
July 14: A group of Madeira citizen turn in a petition for a ballot amendment to make the houses and the train depot part of a "historic district."
July 28: City council approves the amendment being added to the ballot, despite Law Director Bob Malloy saying it is not enforceable because the city does not have a historic district and the amendment does not create one.
Aug. 4: The city sends out an online survey to get resident feedback about the houses.
Aug. 5: EDC holds public meeting about the houses. More than 100 people attend and the majority wanted the current businesses to stay.
Aug. 18: City's survey closes after 845 responses were sent in.
Aug. 21: Creativities owner Christine Parker creates a replica of the survey to send to her customers. She said she was told the survey closed on Aug. 23.
Sept. 4: EDC decides to recommend the houses being sold with a restrictive covenant.
Sept. 8: Council doesn't vote on sale recommendation, but sends goals for use to the Planning Commission.