SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT DEFENDING HIMSELF FROM SCHOOL BOARD
MEMBERS. BUT FIRST.
THIS IS REALLY A BUYER’S WORST
NIGHTMARE. ALL RIGHT. SO YOU
BUY THE PROPERTY. YOU PLAN WHAT
YOU WANT TO DO WITH IT. AND
THEN THE CITY SAYS IT NOT SO
FAST. YEAH, THAT IS EXACTLY
WHAT HAPPENED TO ONE MAN WHO
BOUGHT AN ABANDONED HOME HAS
NOW SURPRISED TO LEARN IT COULD
BE DESIGNATED AS A HISTORICAL
LANDMARK. THAT’S A BIG
ROADBLOCK. THE 19 TO LEIGH
WALDMAN SPOKE WITH THE OWNER.
OKAY SAID EMPLOYEE WHO SAYS.
>> HE JUST WANTS TO GIVE HIS
FAMILY A BETTER LIFE.
MY AMERICAN DREAM IS TO EXPAND
MY.
>> MY PROPERTY LITTLE BIT.
AND IT WAS PERFECT BECAUSE IT
WAS RIGHT NEXT TO US. BUT I
BELIEVE THE HISTORIC COMMITTEE
IS BLOCKING ME. HENRY ROACH AND
HIS FAMILY HAVE LIVED IN THE
SAME BRIGHT YELLOW HOME ON THE
SOUTH SIDE FOR 12 YEARS, 7 OR
8 OF THOSE. THE SMALL HOUSE
NEXT DOOR HAS BEEN VACANT.
ME AND MY FAMILY WANTED TO
EXPAND. WE DON’T HAVE A BIG
YARD.
>> BUYING THE PROPERTY WASN’T
EASY. THE PREVIOUS OWNER DIED
IN THE 70’S. THE AIR DIDN’T
HAVE THE DEED TO THE HOME.
BUT AFTER 3 YEARS, A LITIGATION
ATTORNEY AND $39,000, 100, 17
BURBANK WAS FINALLY ROACHES
IN JULY.
>> AND THIS IS THE KITCHEN.
I BELIEVE. I DON’T SEE ANY
KITCHEN SEEING, BUT I’M
ASSUMING THIS IS A KITCHEN.
IT’S NO SHANGRI-LA ROACHES SAYS
THERE’S CRACKS IN THE
FOUNDATION. THE CEILING IS
COMING DOWN IN PARTS.
>> THE HOME IS IN DISARRAY.
THIS IS NOT A LIVABLE HOUSE
FOR ANYBODY.
I BELIEVE THIS HOUSE SHOULD BE
CONDEMNED. HE FOUND A
CONTRACTOR TO DEMOLISH THE
HOUSE SO HE COULD BUILD A CAR
PORT, A GARDEN IN A SWING SET
FOR HIS FAMILY. THE DEMOLITION
PERMIT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE
CITY AND THAT’S WHEN THE
HEADACHE REALLY BEGAN.
>> SOMEBODY WHO WORKED FOR THE
CITY, THEY WANTED TO DO A SITE
SURVEY WITH THE HISTORIC
COMMISSION. 3 COMMISSIONERS
CAME SURVEY THE PROPERTY AND
GAVE ROAD TO THE NEWS.
HE DREADED.
>> THEY ALL AGREE THAT THIS
HOUSE, IT’S A STORY. HE WENT
BEFORE THE HISTORIC AND DESIGN
REVIEW COMMISSION FOR A FORMAL
HEARING EARLIER THIS MONTH.
>> THE COMMISSION SAID BASED ON
3 OF 16 CRITERIA, THIS HOUSE
QUALIFIED AS HISTORIC. IT’S A
VERNACULAR SHOTGUN HOUSE
PREVALENT IN THE EARLY 20TH
CENTURY. IT’S CROSSMAN
INFLUENCED AND IT’S ONE OF 3
SHOCK AND HOMES IN A ROW.
THE COMMISSIONERS VOTED SOME
MOTION PASSES IN FAVOR OF
HISTORIC DESIGNATION ALL BUT 2.
>> INCLUDING OW. ALL REAL A
JUNIOR. I THINK IF A PROPERTY
OWNER WANTS TO SEE THEIR SIGHT
OR THEIR PROPERTY, DEAN WAS
START.
>> THEN THEY SHOULD BE THE ONES
THAT APPLY FOR THAT IN OUR
CONVERSATION. AND DURING THE
HEARING, REAL ARGUED BECAUSE
ROACHES THE LEGAL PROPERTY
OWNER, HE SHOULD NOT BE FORCED
TO RESTORE THE HOME. MY
POSITION IS PRETTY STRONG ON
THIS IS THAT IF WE REALLY WANT
TO SOMETHING START THAT’S BE ON
A HISTORIC DISTRICT, THEN WE
SHOULD HELP COMPENSATE THE
PROPERTY OWNER FOR THAT
INVESTMENT.
>> THAT’S NOT THE POSITION OF
SHANNON MILLER, THE DIRECTOR OF
THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC
PRESERVATION. WE AS A COMMUNITY
ARE LOOKING AT CHALLENGES
RELATED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING
AND CLIMATE. AND, YOU KNOW,
LOTS OF OTHER ISSUES AND SO
REINVESTING IN OUR EXISTING
HOUSING STOCK IS SO IMPORTANT
OVER THE LAST YEAR. SO MILLER
SAYS HER OFFICE HAS IDENTIFIED
OVER 700 SHOPS AND HOMES.
NOT ALL WILL BE DESIGNATED AS
HISTORIC, INCLUDING THE 2 RIGHT
NEXT DOOR TO ROACHES IDEALLY
THE HDRC HOPES ROACHES PROPERTY
WOULD BE REFURBISHED AND MADE
INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT HE
WOULD THEY MANAGE ROCHE.
IT DOESN’T HAVE THE MEANS OR
DESIRE TO DO THAT. I FEEL LIKE
THE LITTLE FISH IN THE BIG
OCEAN AND THE CITY IS THE
CHARTS.
>> BECAUSE I CAN’T I CAN’T DO
WHAT I WANT TO DO.
>> NOW THAT THE HDRC HAS
RECOMMENDED THE HOME BE
DESIGNATED HISTORIC. THIS GOES
TO A CITY COUNCIL VOTE. THE
LEADER VOTE TO AGREE OR
DISAGREE WITH THE HD OR SEES
RECOMMENDATION ON HISTORIC
STATUS. AS FAR AS RIGHT NOW, NO
DATE HAS BEEN SET.
ALL RIGHT, LEE, WE HAVE A
QUESTION BECAUSE THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT I THINK A LOT OF
HOMEOWNERS LOOK AT ME THINK,
OH, NO, I HOPE THIS NEVER
HAPPENS TO ME. HOW TO
HOMEOWNERS PREVENT THIS FROM
EVER HAPPENING TO THEM.
>> THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION.
WILL FIRST THE OFFICE OF
HISTORIC PRESERVATION SAYS YOU
CAN CHECK WITH HIM ABOUT ANY
PROPERTY YOU’RE LOOKING AT
BUYING. THEY CAN GIVE YOU AN
INDICATION IF IT’S POTENTIALLY
HISTORIC. IT HAS HISTORIC
SIGNIFICANCE ON OUR WEBSITE,
KSAT DOT COM. WE POSTED THE
LIST OF 700 PLUS SHOCKING
HOMES. THE OHP HAS IDENTIFIED
SINCE 2019. YOU CAN CHECK ON
THIS SPECIFIC ADDRESS WITH THAT
LIST. IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT TO
POINT OUT ALL DEMOLITION
PERMITS MUST GO THROUGH THE
OFFICE. THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC
PRESERVATION ROACHES PROPERTY