Grace Hall Update

At tonight's meeting of the Woodstock Historic Preservation Commission I vented about the delay in sending its recommendation to the the City Council for Landmark status for Grace Hall, an exquisite building on the property of Woodstock Christian Life Services. Go by 318 Christian Way, park and walk around the building. Go in and take a look.

After the Commission endured my ranting, Chairman Allen Stebbins politely explained that the Commission had forwarded its recommendation for Landmark status to the City Council within the 30-day period required by its charter.

And here, for the past four months, I had been under the impression that it was the HPC that was stone-walling the status. My sincere apologies to the Commission and to each of its members!

Now, members of the City Council and Mayor Sager, exactly why are you stalling on your consideration of Landmark status of Grace Hall? If you received the recommendation of the HPC, why did you not place this important item on the next following semi-monthly Agenda? Whose idea was it not to put it on the Agenda?

Are you afraid of a lawsuit by WCLS and Mark Gummerson, if you landmark that building? You should be.

Are you afraid of a lawsuit by the Petitioners for Landmark for status, Dan and Caryl Lemanski? Not so much, I'll bet.

You imposed an April 6 deadline on the Lemanskis, personally, to meet conditions that guarantee demolition of Grace Hall. How did Ordinance 08-O-62 come about? Who directed the City Attorney to draft it with conditions that were never discussed by the City Council?

I believe that Ordinance 08-O-62 should be rescinded and will so ask the City Council on March 17.

Tonight I referred to the "waiting game" that is being played out here. WCLS is merely watching time run down on the clock. They are hogging the ball, running circles around on the playing field, and on April 6 the buzzer will sound. Game over! And then on April 21 the City Council will bow to WCLS and issue a demolition permit for Grace Hall.

What will save it then? An injunction issued by a McHenry County judge to stop the wrecking ball from swinging its first blow.

Read Jan Barry's letter in the February 18 issue of The Woodstock Independent. She writes about Harrison Hall and the Woodstock Children's Home. She writes about the grand staircase and the glass-cased doorways.

If WCLS is permitted to demolish Grace Hall in order to build a couple of tiny duplexes that it can peddle for some big bucks, this City will long remember the seven on the City Council who allowed it to happen.