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CITY OF MUSKEGON
HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
DATE OF MEETING: Tuesday, February 7, 2017
TIME OF MEETING: 4:00 p.m.
PLACE OF MEETING: City Commission Chambers, City Hall
AGENDA
I. Call to Order
III. Approval of Minutes of the regular meeting of January 3, 2017
IV. Old Business
V. New Business
Case 2017-03 – 444 & 448 W Clay Ave – Demolition of structures
VI. Other Business
VII. Adjourn
“We admire that which is old not because it is old, but because it is beautiful.” Winston Churchill
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tapes of printed materials being considered at the meeting, to individuals with disabilities who want to attend the meeting, upon twenty-
four hour notice to the City of Muskegon. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact the City of
Muskegon by writing or calling the following:
Ann Marie Cummings, City Clerk
933 Terrace Street
Muskegon, MI 49440
(231) 724-6705
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Case 2017-03 – 444 & 448 W Clay Ave
Applicant: Paul Kurek
District: Clay-Western
Current Function: Residential
Discussion
The applicant is seeking approval to demolish the two homes so that he may sell the land to the Lakeshore
Museum Center for a future expansion. The homes have fallen into disrepair and moving them would not
be feasible, as determined by SafeBuilt, the City’s building inspection department. The homes do not
possess many historic qualities or craftsmanship, and the consolidation of the museum would allow other
historic sites to be used for a higher and better use.
The Lakeshore Museum Center is considering an addition to its building in the near future. They current-
ly own the building to the north at 477 W Western Ave, which they use as their archive facility. They al-
so rent space in the building that hosts Ryke’s bakery on Terrace St, which they use for storage. They
would like to consolidate into one central location. In order to accomplish this, they would need to pur-
chase the two homes to the west and demolish them in order to make room for the addition.
Homes at 444 & 448 W Clay
Parking lot owned by the museum, located to the west of the house at 448 W Clay
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Building at 477 W Western, the museum’s archive facility.
Lakeshore Museum Center
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Standards
Sec. 11-31. Approval of demolition or moving of structures of historic or architec-
tural worth.
(a) The demolition or moving of structures of historic or architectural worth shall be discour-
aged. The commission shall not issue a certificate of approval for demolition of such a struc-
ture, except when the structure is deemed a hazard to public health or safety by a responsible
public agency. The commission may, at its own discretion, issue a certificate of approval for
the demolition or moving of such structure, but shall be guided by the following conditions in
exercising its judgment in granting such a certificate:
(1) The director of building inspection deems such structure to be a hazard to public safety or
health and repairs are impossible.
(2) Such structure is a deterrent to a major improvement program which will be of substantial
benefit to the community.
(3) Retention of such structure would cause undue financial hardship to the owner, which
would be defined as a situation where more funds than is reasonable would be required to re-
tain the structure.
(4) The retention of such structure would not be in the interest of the community as a whole.
(b) In cases where approval for demolition is granted, for reasons other than public health or
safety, such certificate shall not become effective until six (6) months after the date of such is-
suance, in order to provide a period of time within which it may be possible to relieve a hard-
ship or to cause the property to be transferred to another owner who will retain the structure.
(Ord. No. 737, § 9, 9-25-73)
Deliberation
I move that the HDC (approve/deny) the request for the demolition of 444 and 448 W Clay Ave as long as
it meets all zoning requirements and the necessary permits are obtained.
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