Council votes against moving Augdon House

Council rejected the offer earlier this week.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
POLAND -- Village officials have decided not to allow the historic Augdon House to be moved to village-owned property.
The Augdon House has stood on Main Street here since it was built in 1850. Council and members of the Poland Preservation Society had been involved in long and sometimes heated discussions over whether the house should be razed or moved to property owned by the village.
A developer has said the house will be demolished if it is not moved. A 90-day stay on the demolition permit was issued and has now expired.
Council, in a 4-2 decision earlier this week, decided not to allow the house to be moved to property near village hall on Main Street. Members of the preservation society and Streetscapes, a group of concerned citizens, planned for the house to be moved to the section of the property closest to the state Route 170 bridge, across from the Poland library and near the street.
Members of both groups have said saving the house is imperative to maintaining the historic nature of the village. Some said other historic homes have been destroyed here over the years, and losing one more would be tragic.
Members of the groups wanted to drive the house across Yellow Creek to the proposed site. They estimated the move and exterior restoration would cost $42,000, and said one-third of the cost had already been pledged.
Reasons for rejection
Councilman Bob Limmer said the offer was rejected by council for two reasons.
According to Limmer, council's primary concern was the lack of a financial plan for upkeep of the building in the future from members of either group. He said council members felt too much of the financial burden might fall on the village.
"The feeling was that once we get the house on village property, we would be stuck with it. Then, it becomes village property and we are the ones responsible," he said. "We don't want it sitting on our property and becoming a liability."
Limmer said another factor in council's decision was that members of the Poland Village Garden Club did not want the house moved to the proposed location.
According to Limmer, the garden club, which plants flowers and maintains the grounds around the proposed location, created a master plan for the area several years ago and received council's approval of that plan. He said a house was not included in those plans, and council did not want to go back on its word to the garden club.
Limmer said it will be up to someone in the private sector to provide a new home for the house.
Steve Meloy, preservation society, said the groups are exploring other areas along Main Street where the house could be moved. He has doubts, however, as to whether the house will be saved.
jgoodwin@vindy.com