ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — People in St. Augustine are still asking questions about the controversial demolition of a historic downtown home.
First Coast News told you last week about the recent demolition at 11 Bridge Street.
The former homeowner, Pat Dobosz, said the home was beyond repair.
But some neighbors say it should have never gotten to that point. The St. Augustine City Commission agrees.
"Would it have taken money to save that? Of course. But was it worth saving? Absolutely," Melinda Rakoncay, a preservationist, told First Coast News.
The home was purchased in 2016 by Pat Dobosz. She said she wanted to make it her forever home, but said it was beyond repair.
“There were gaping holes in the floors. The termite damage was so significant over the years, the main floor joists had no integrity whatsoever," Dobosz said.
She said she did her best to repair what she could, but eventually sold the property this month.
Part of the sale included demolition.
Three months ago, a structural engineer, hired by the property owner, said demolition was immediately recommended.
According to Buddy Schauland of the city's planning and building department, the engineer said the structure "could collapse just by one worker going in there to fix it."
Based on the findings from the owner’s structural engineer, the city issued an emergency demolition permit.
It allowed the property lawfully to come down without input from the public and before going in front of the city’s historic architectural review board, known as HARB.
“It just seems ridiculous to me that house was demoed," City Commissioner Cynthia Garris said.
The city commission was not satisfied with the process. Garris wanted a second opinion from another structural engineer.
Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline said she wanted to see HARB involved in future emergency demolition discussions.
City Manager David Birchim said the city can get creative to fix homes before they are too far gone through tax exemption programs and grants through CRAs.
"So, the city, through the CRA, is giving grants to these folks to fix up their homes. That gives an extended lifespan to the structure, and it allows the residents to age in place and live in their homes," Birchim said.
Birchim says people living in Lincolnville are eligible and neighbors in the West City CRA will soon be eligible.
He said the incentive route, rather than the punishment route through code enforcement penalties on homeowners, is the solution.
"State law caps how much the city can fine someone for an irrevocable code enforcement violation of $5,000. Now that property owner is saying, 'the city's going to fine me $250 a day, I'm going to spend a fortune restoring this building. And it's possible that they'll still have a lien on it. I can go through that process. Or I can take the building down without a permit, go back to the special magistrate, and the only thing the city can do is fine me $5,000.' That's reality. It's called a wicked problem," Birchim said.
The city commission said the discussion to find solutions will continue to ensure what happened to 11 Bridge Street never happens again.
“I've lived in a variety of cities, where demolition by neglect and emergency powers have been used. And I really would hate to get to the point where St. Augustine operates in that manner," Preservationist Leslee Keyes said.
Sikes-Kline also wants a list of other historic structures and homes in danger, so the commission is aware of potential future demolitions.