It is time to provide an important development stemming from a citizens’ appeal challenging the HDC’s decision to demolish the historic Chestertown Armory.
In response to the appeal filed in Circuit Court, Washington College now claims the citizen petitioners do not have legal “standing” despite being property owners and residents of our Historic District. The College argues, with a series of court filings, that some Historic District residents are more equal than others by virtue of geography. If this argument prevails, then only those Historic District residents who live within 1000 feet of an applicant property will be permitted to be heard at HDC meetings. This precedent will mean that decisions can be made that impact your property for which you may have no say. To the contrary, we believe that all Historic District residents have unlimited standing by virtue of living within the District – we are all united and should not be divided by an attempt to justify demolition of the Armory. A hearing is scheduled for September 4th at the Kent County Court House and your interests are also at stake.
Myself, with others, have long supported a boutique hotel project but preferred that the Armory, listed on the National Register, be reused in the design. It is structurally sound and ALL challenges, due to 12 years of neglect by Washington College, can be corrected using industry-proven protocols. Repurposing is financially viable, achievable and Green. I know firsthand because I have done it before on hallmark projects. Perhaps no one else on the front lines of the matter can make this statement and with a willingness to address it openly with interested parties. Visit the armories in Easton and Centreville to see what a successful new-life looks like.
You should also know that the College’s stated hope to save the Armory’s front façade, called FACADOMY, is NOT preservation in the industry. It is regarded as a preservation fig leaf. The HDC pinned its decision on saving the front façade, but preservation architects and engineers alike acknowledge facadomy to be very complicated, structurally challenging and very expensive. It is relevant to note that NO study has been submitted by the College to the HDC to prove saving just the front façade is viable, which makes this a completely tentative proposal that merely SOUNDS good. By reusing the 1931 building, there is no doubt of keeping the entire historic structure for posterity.
Demolition is not the historically or environmentally responsible option and, quite frankly, is a huge MISS to promote and market the uniqueness of Historic Chestertown. As Richard Moe, renown preservationist, attorney and past president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said upon his visit to town years ago, “Chestertown had the good sense to preserve its historic district.” I add that this “good sense” is needed today along with vision and united commitment to what indeed makes us so special.
For more information or to support this effort to defend the integrity of our Historic District, go to Facebook Repurpose the Chestertown Armory and the links.
Thomas Kocubinski, AIA
Preservation Architect, Chestertown, MD
Brian Speer says
Once again, the actions of the College regarding the Armory are being distorted by those opposed to the College’s plan. At the core of their latest attempt, Tom Kocubinski and his co-plantiffs have charged that through our recent filing to dismiss their objection to the HDC ruling that the College is saying “some Historic District residents are more equal than others by virtue of geography” and that “only those Historic District residents who live within 1000 feet of an applicant property will be permitted to be heard at HDC meetings.” Both assertions are unequivocally false.
In fact, the filing has nothing to do with Historic District Commission proceedings or the ability of any community member—not just those who live within the Historic District—to attend and voice their opinions at a meeting of the HDC. The filing to dismiss deals directly with ability of anyone to frivolously take their disagreement with an HDC ruling to the Circuit Court. Our filing challenges the standing of Mr. Kocubinski, et. al. based on long standing Maryland precedent, that only those who live approximately 1,000 feet from the subject property that is being appealed (the Armory in this case), have standing before the Circuit Court to challenge the action of the HDC.
Please, if you plan to persist in opposing the College’s plans for the Armory, do so by accurately representing the facts so we can refrain from the back and forth.
Brian Speer
Vice President for Marketing & Communications
Washington College
Joan Farley says
Kudos to Tom, for comprehensive and valuable information pertaining to the repurposing of the Chestertown Armory! The preservation of the historic district is vital to Chestertown’s history. Why cannot Washington College see that repurposing is better in all ways than facadomy? They claimed financial distress in repurposing the armory, but now want to spend more money and involve much more complicated structural and environmental procedures to preserve just the façade? Do they really intend to preserve the façade at all? Or was that just a pretense to get their way with the HDC, i.e., demolition by neglect?
Gren Whitman says
I hope that ugly pile of concrete blocks is torn down ASAP.
There is no valid reason to preserve it.
And my standing to comment?
I drive by it now and then and have been for 20 years.
Elizabeth Bonass. says
Yes it’s so depressing looking. Looks like a building in Russia or the Eastern Europe. Dilapidated cold and dismal. I’m sure it has all kinds of health issues also. Demolish and get rid.