Wrecking ball nears?

Woodstock Christian Life Services (WCLS) has submitted yet another revised set of plans to the City of Woodstock for development of the "South Phase", which is the section over on Route 47 that includes Grace Hall.

Whether this set of plans will pass muster and be approved is up to the City of Woodstock. Several months ago I was told that a set of plans could be approved in as short a period as five days. It's my guess that WCLS has already prepared a request for demolition and, as soon as the plans are approved for the first duplex in the south phase, they will drop that request at City Hall and stand there with outstretched hand, waiting for somebody behind a desk to stamp "Approved" on it.

Approval of a demotion permit has already been granted by the City Council, pending approval of building plans for the first duplex in the south phase.

The plans are on Dan Streit's desk at City Hall, and I shall try to learn when the decision is to be made. If I can, I'll let you know here.

One cell phone call and the operator of the wrecking crane will roll forward and begin to knock down one beautiful, 100-year-old, irreplaceable building that should have been designated a Landmark by the Woodstock City Council.

Unfortunately, the City Council, under the lead of Mayor Sager, pigeon-holed the request from the Woodstock Historic Preservation Commission for Landmark designation. They did that by tabling the request, and then they proceeded to work through the steps to give WCLS a green light on its project. The Council has refused several requests to "un-table" that Motion and make a decision on it.

There probably won't be any New Orleans jazz band to play a dirge, but a group will no doubt gather to witness the City's final abandonment of this beautiful building.

The City Council should be ashamed of itself for not having the guts to put the motion to landmark this building and then vote it down. Instead, they tried to sweep it under the table and hoped the issue would go away. It didn't; it won't. This Council will be remembered as the ones who ducked.