There were several people from the neighborhood at the hearing this morning. I explained our opposition and presented the change.org petition which at the point of printing had 216 supporters. (As I type this we have 228.) City staff made a strong case that renovation of the property would not work, that the damage was too severe, also stating the damage occurred from the fire and the water used to put it out, that minimal damage had occurred due to the hole in the roof. Several of us pushed back on these assertions, specifically challenging some of the numbers used. The claim is that a renovated home would result in a substantial loss to the builder/owner (between $233K and $425K) while a new build would yield a small profit. The problem with the numbers, from our point of view, is that the new build would need to be 2700 Sq ft to be profitable, and that the numbers used to value a renovated property were incorrect. The builder maintains that the house can not be renovated, that it is too far gone. Roof, trusses, flooring, floor joists, plumbing, electrical all need to be entirely replaced and asbestos needs to be dealt with. The hearing officer was leaning towards approving the demolition. In a compromise there was a continuance until next Monday. A small group of us will tour the property with the builder on Saturday to evaluate the condition of the property. I'll put the details (time, place) of the Monday meeting in this space when known. If the demolition is approved at that time, any member of the public can appeal the decision within 5 days, at which time the case would go to the Historic Preservation Commission. The most disappointing aspect of this meeting was something we learned. If the application for demolition is denied, it only postpones demolition. Under the current city ordinance, the property owner could proceed with demolition 12 month after the denial, without permission. We need to talk to our City Council representatives about this. City staff report, photos of the property/damage, etc. are available on nextdoor.com for those of you who participate in the Encanto/Willo section there. If you want to see them and don't have access, send an email to me (pbenjamin@cox.net) and I can send you copies.