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From James Hanby:
Bob,
I thank you for the update, however
rather then spend the foundation's
money on running ads I would instead
like to see the foundation to invite
several of us who have been active
in preservation in general and the
preservation of the Murphy House
especially to sit down and
brainstorm ways to resolve in a way
that everyone can feel good about
the outcome.
The fact remains Nemours took on the
house from Del-Dot with the
understanding of what it would cost
to the rehab it would be and their
own estimate is now less then the
Del-Dot estimate was. The fact also
remains that Al-Zar and Del-Dot each
got something they wanted out of
preserving the house and Nemours has
a duty to follow through with that
otherwise the discussion should be
how does Del-Dot take the property
back rather than what does Nemours
need to do to tear the house down.
Del-Dot through Former Secretary of
Transportation Anne Canby committed
to preserving, then chief engineer
now also Former Secretary of
Transportation Carol Ann Wicks was
also a part of that effort that
stemmed in part from Del-Dot
building part of the road out there
on Al-Zar land without first buying
it resulting in the location of the
road relative to the structure now.
When this was discovered a grand
deal was struck that everyone,
especially those of us on the New
Castle Historic Review Board,
thought preserved the Murphy House.
However the board and the public did
not foresee Del-Dot not holding on
to the property and hence we find
ourselves where we are today.
Sure with the economy and markets
what they are it might not be the
best time for Nemours to spend the
money to rehab but I am not aware of
anyone insisting they do it right at
this point anyway. Furthermore they
just finished spending upwards of
$30 million to rehab the mansion,
this is a drop in the bucket in
comparison and yet it is an
important contributing factor to
A.I.'s development of his property.
It is also a fact that this whole
"$50,000 to remove a structure"
offer rarely actually works and I
don't know off hand of any examples
in New Castle County where a stone
structure such as this was moved.
You have not only the moving cost
which would be out of this world
considering the just the power lines
alone that would have to be moved,
but also the site question, where in
this area are you going to find
space to move it that is not going
to cost at least as much as the
rehab to buy. In short to move and
rehab the Murphy house you would
easily top $2.5 million. I know of
no non-profit that has that kind of
dollars to sink into this project
not to mention you lose a large part
of the importance of the house once
you move it off site. Former Rep.
Ennis once got an estimate of over
$1 million to move the Blue Ball
Barn and that was over 10 years ago
and he was only talking about moving
it back several hundred feet on the
same piece of ground the state
already owned.
The Grange was one of the success
stories that started as one of these
"$50,000 to move our building
offers" and yet in the end the
Pepe's never saw a dime of that
$50,000 as by the time the whole
project was finished Sommerton
Springs Golf Shop was facing tough
fiscal times and refused to pay.
The time line is too short and any
effort would require much more time.
Even if I had a property already
owned today it is doubtful that a
proposal could be filed with Nemours
to meet their October 15th deadline,
let Nemours choose to accept the
offer and then somehow manage to get
all the permits and approvals from
New Castle County in time to have
the building off site by end of the
year.
As you remember with the Grange time
also became an issue and the Pepe's,
you and I had to work together to
get the County to allow us to "park"
the Grange in the parking lot near
where it was to be placed until the
foundation was ready to receive it.
I might add the Grange is a simple
wood frame structure and only had to
be moved a couple hundred yards. Yet
the Pepe's spent hundreds of
thousands of dollars in buying land,
moving the building and finally
doing the rehab.
I say all this not because I don't
appreciate that the Foundation is
trying to come up with solutions but
because as I suggested at the start.
The way to come up with a workable
solution is to sit down with those
of us who have done this and think
outside the box.
Nemours says the size makes it
impossible to make it work for
anything they might use it for. I
say what about adding on an addition
that would make the numbers come up
better. I find it hard to believe
that there isn't some doctor or
health related group that wouldn't
love to have an office right across
from the hospital. While on the NCC
Historic Review Board we willingly
went on behalf of a property owner
to the board of adjustment to
testify in favor of variances that
were needed to allow additions to be
made to a historic house in order to
preserve it. Just ask Anthony Vari
what he thinks about that as the
house he wanted to tear down in Clay
Estates is now the center piece of
the development and one that Anthony
found he couldn't bear to part with
when he finished it so he bought it
himself.
Finally why limit the $50,000 offer
to non-profits? Or for that matter
why worry about that at all if
someone was willing to take it off
their hands under the same terms as
they got it what do they care what
they want to use it for? They should
just transfer it and be done with
it. To the County, to the State to
anybody who would agree to restore
it where it is, and don't limit it
to $50,000 even if they put up
$500,000 they would still be at less
then half of what the Del-Dot
estimate was when they took on the
house and they can still claim they
helped save this historic house.
If we can't trust the state and one
of our most revered state
non-profits to keep their promises
who can we trust?
In the end we don't need fluff
newspaper ads or proposals that are
more designed to make the Foundation
feel they did all they could do to
save this house that THEY agreed to
preserve. No to resolve this we need
a meeting of the best minds in
historic preservation that we have
to offer in Delaware to partner with
Nemours and I have no doubt we can
together save the Murphy House,
again!
Regards,
James
From Bob Weiner, New Castle
County Councilman:
Chris Manning, Senior Manager,
Public and Community Relations,
Nemours
302-298-7309 office
302-298-2723 cell
Secretary of Transportation Shailen
Bhatt
Dear Mr. Manning and Secretary
Bhatt,
After having carefully considered
the thoughtful comments of the
Honorable James Hanby and other
historic advocates, I join them in
urging Nemours and DelDOT to
collaborate with community historic
advocates to explore other options,
as enumerated by Judge Hanby below.
Accordingly, would you be willing to
meet with us on site? My aide Lou
Hinkle and I are available to meet
on Thursday August 18 or Thursday
August 25.
Thank you. Bob Weiner
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