Omaha's Demolition Derby
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2016 11:48 pm
Recently I sat in a very informative Post Specht meeting concerning Omaha's Demolition practices. There is now a proposal in the City Council pikes that will try to place an extra safeguard on preserving historic structures in Omaha. In essence this will put a flag on certain 50 to 75 year old properties that would have to go through (planning) committees before a developer could designate and grant for demolition (most city designated properties are fore gone conclusions of unhabitability). This will be based on other city codes, such as Denver's, and their experiences in dealing with such issues, and will have to deal with questions over owner rights versus city resolutions regarding 'historicity'.
After a few days of digesting what I heard, there are just so many unanswered questions that may be stumbling blocks to city council members who especially live in non historic districts (but at a 50 year designation, we are now talking about the 1960's structures). They may even have to define such minimal concepts as to what makes a property an historic value. Is it of architectural (genre) value or of personality (President Ford/Malcomb X slept here)? What is considered habitable/at what cost? But thanks to the Specht and previously the Clarinda questions, there is now relevant discussion on how Omaha should proceed on such delicate issues involving demolition for the sake of progress...
After a few days of digesting what I heard, there are just so many unanswered questions that may be stumbling blocks to city council members who especially live in non historic districts (but at a 50 year designation, we are now talking about the 1960's structures). They may even have to define such minimal concepts as to what makes a property an historic value. Is it of architectural (genre) value or of personality (President Ford/Malcomb X slept here)? What is considered habitable/at what cost? But thanks to the Specht and previously the Clarinda questions, there is now relevant discussion on how Omaha should proceed on such delicate issues involving demolition for the sake of progress...