Saturday, January 26, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Letter for the Chelsea Standard
We represent a coalition of citizens who care about the future of the property formerly owned by the Federal Screw Works (FSW). We know that the redevelopment of this site is very important to
For almost a century, generations of Chelsea residents worked in the industries that have occupied this location, even winning awards from the U.S. Army and Navy for quality production during World War II. Instead of demolishing the entire FSW site as the new owners have proposed, rehabilitating and adaptively reusing parts of the complex would contribute to the revitalization of the neighborhood, help to maintain
During the past few months, the zoning of the FSW property has attracted considerable attention in Chelsea. We are pleased that at the Planning Commission’s meeting on January 15, Magellan Properties withdrew its request that the property be rezoned to commercial (C-2), stated the intention to request a PUD zoning designation and to “use its best efforts to have the site remediate to allow second floor residential.” Second floor residential would be in line with the 2007 Draft Comprehensive Plan that designates the FSW site as “mixed use” and meets the industry model definition of the American Planning Association: “A Mixed-use Building means a building that contains at least one floor developed to nonresidential uses and at least one devoted to allowed residential uses.”
Although the site presents environmental challenges, we believe that mixed use offers the best option for preserving neighborhood and community character, as well as quality of life. Further, a mixed use design could incorporate existing elements from the site, specifically the small and architecturally distinct office buildings that anchor the complex on the northeastern and southwestern corners. A Victorian industrial office built in 1919 occupies the northeast corner, while an Art Deco style office stands on the southwest corner. Preserving these two office buildings could lead to tax incentives and other economic tools to aid in redeveloping the property, as well as contribute to local business activity and economic success. For instance, the unique office building on
Increasingly, tourists and residents are drawn to communities that retain a distinctive character and identity. People from all over the region come to Chelsea for its intact historic architecture, charming downtown, and retail, arts, dining, and cultural offerings. The historic buildings of the FSW complex, and the important story they tell about the industrial history of the region, could easily attract additional visitors to Chelsea’s downtown business district.
Given the important role that the FSW has played in the history of our community, the future of the site matters to everyone in Chelsea. Maintaining tangible contact with the past strengthens the sense of continuity that is essential to a healthy community. If the buildings are demolished, they take with them an important part of our identity. No remnant remains of the multi-grade level school complex that once stood on East, Park and Harrison Streets. As the CHS Class of 1958, the last class to graduate from the high school, prepares to celebrate its 50th reunion, many citizens have lamented the demolition of the high school designed by well-known
Let’s think twice before yet another piece of our history disappears.
Sincerely,
Citizens To Keep Our FSW Heritage
Merle Barr, Jr.
Larry Bean
Janet Bernath
William Chandler
Kathy Clark
Jane Creswell
Mark Creswell
Ian Cumming
Sara Cumming
Bob Dahlman
Diane Dahlman
Barb DeTroyer
Rick DeTroyer
Tom Diab
John Frank
Elizabeth Hammer
Kathyrn Horste
Joanne Ladio
Susan Lentz
Ron Lentz
Jan Loveland
Andrew Massey
Michelle McClellan
Scott McElrath
Jim Menlove
Bob Merkel
Hank Muir
Shirley Muir
Jim Myles
Karen Neal
Maurine Nelson
Doug Northrop
Betty Oesterle
Janice Ortbring
Candace Pappas
John Pappas
Sandy Peterson
Sandie Schulze
Jan Sevde
Darlene Stanley
Elsie Swanberg
Amanda Tarasow
Chris Tarasow
Fritz Wagner
Bill Wescott
Susie Wescott
Norm Wetzel
Richard White
Charlotte Wyche
Don Wyche
Harry Zoccoli III