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Public comment in support of demolition of St. John Cantius ChurchCarolyn Misch <cmisch@northamptonma.gov> Public comment in support of demolition of St. John Cantius Church Harold Wolfe <harold.wolfe@comcast.net>Sun, Apr 4, 2021 at 12:54 PM To: cmisch@northamptonma.gov Cc: SLaValley@northamptonma.gov, Jim Nash <jimnashcitycouncil@gmail.com> April 4, 2021 Public Comment To: Central Business Architecture Committee Re: Saint John Cantius Demolition (in support) This is a statement is support of the demolition of the St. John Cantius Church and the proposed construction on the property of market-rate housing. My wife and I have lived at 28 Phillips Place, which abuts the church property, for nearly 30 years (since May 1991). While the construction currently ongoing on the property has been difficult to endure because of the noise, vibration, and blowing grit, we believe that the ultimate transformation of the property will be worth the short-term inconvenience. New housing and new neighbors will certainly be an improvement over an abandoned, decaying, and neglected property. Most people who live in the city, even those who reside in Ward 3, are unaware of the conditions surrounding the church since its abandonment more than 10 years ago, so they may be surprised by our support for the demolition and the new construction. However, we can cite several compelling reasons for razing the church and for construction of new residences. These reasons include respecting the history of the neighborhood, environmental sustainability, and community revitalization. Respecting the History of the Neighborhood Much of the area that now comprises The Pomeroy Terrace Historical District was part of a new residential development in the mid- 19th century. It was, and largely remains, an area of single family homes. St. John Cantius Church is a relative newcomer to the neighborhood. Several single family homes were razed in the early part of the 20th century to make way for the church and its parking lot on Phillips Place. Replacing the church with housing that is designed and constructed by thoughtful architects and developers (as the Kuhn Riddle/O’Connell Group have shown themselves to be) will restore the neighborhood to its original historic use. Environmental Sustainability Those who oppose the demolition of the church suggest that the building could be restored (by unknown persons or groups) and might be used for some purpose (to be determined at a later date). It seems that in the time since the church’s abandonment, no one has come up with a feasible, or even cogent, plan for what to do with it. We are not blind to the beauty of the church façade. We’ve admired many sunsets that lit up the sky behind the church spires. We’ll miss that, but we are also aware of the enormous sums required to stabilize the building and make it useable for any purpose. Beyond that, to make the church energy efficient, even more staggering sums would need to be expended. We believe that it would be more responsible to recycle the building materials and replace the structure with buildings that have the potential to be net-zero-energy-consuming. Community Revitalization Ward 3 is one of the most diverse areas of the city. It is home to some of city’s poorest residents and some of its wealthiest. Most of us reside somewhere in the middle. We have our share of low- and moderate-income housing, as well as houses that have a high assessed value. There are several social services agencies operating out of the ward, as well as many small businesses. While we’re not big fans of recently imposed “in-fill” zoning ordinances, we should all welcome new residents who will be just a short walk away from the downtown. As the city recovers from the pandemic, and shops and restaurants begin to reopen, new residents will provide a much needed economic jolt by patronizing the businesses that make Northampton an alluring place to live, work, and visit. In addition, our new neighbors will be adding to the tax base and contributing to our Community Preservation Fund, which makes many worthy projects possible, including the construction of low-income housing within historic structures. In conclusion, we do not see any reason to delay (beyond what has already been a more than decade-long delay) doing what needs to be done to get rid of a neglected, abandoned building and replace it with something useful that benefits the entire community. Respectfully, H. Leslie Wolfe H. Leslie Wolfe 28 Phillips Place Northampton, MA 01060 413-221-3018