Meg Hibbert
Contributing writer
Some citizens who want to preserve an 1850s house are asking Salem City Council to delay issuing a demolition permit for the house at 102 North Market Street.
The 1850-era house is believed to be constructed of the same bricks made by James Deyerle and his brother for Roanoke College, which now wants to tear down the house.
Monday night three people spoke in Council’s Citizen Comment portion, asking for Council to put a stop to the college’s demolition plans with the possibility of the house being moved to another location.
College officials have said RC is willing to give the house to someone who will move it.
Dr. Whitney Leeson, a history professor a the college and North Broad Street resident, said the house is one of only 14 Deyerle buildings remaining in Salem. All were built approximately in the 1850s.
“It is ironic that Roanoke College intends to demolish a building built by the same person as the college,” she said, referring to Deyerle whose bricks were used to construct original college buildings.
She said proposals to move the building are a last resort, and if it is demolished the decision would be irreversible.
Diane Ribble of Pexton Avenue said “Citizens in Salem are taking a back seat. Roanoke College is taking the lead” in development in the city. “President Frank Shushok said the college is not a guest in the city but is a vital contributor.” She asked Council how Roanoke College contributes financially to the city, since it does not pay taxes.
Stella Reinhard, another North Broad Street resident, noted the house is surrounded by nearby historic properties, including Salem Presbyterian Church diagonally across on North Market and East Main.
She called on Council as citizens’ leaders to do something. “The city has 30 days to issue a demolition permit, and could delay that,” Reinhard said.
“It’s time the city has an Architectural Review Board,” she said, calling on the city to extend the present historic district that includes North Broad be extended to Lake Spring Pond, better known as the “Duck Pond” at West Main and Fourth Street.
In other matters at the Feb. 9 Council meeting, City Manager Chris Dorsey commended city crews for their day and night work clearing snow from city streets, sidewalks and city parking lots after last week’s snows glazed into “snowcrete,” as the Virginia Department of Transportation dubbed it, by three inches of ice and temperatures in the 20s.
“The crews were able to collect garbage the next day,” Dorsey pointed out.
He also gave an update of recent city staff and Council activities, including traveling to Richmond for local government day where Dorsey, Mayor Renee Turk and Vice Mayor AnneMarie Green spoke to local representatives to voice opposition several General Assembly bills that are of citizen concern.
Dorsey said city budget preparation has begun, with meetings with department heads. “As the budget is prepared, of major concern is the potential loss of $1.5-million revenue from Yokohama. The tire company is in the process of laying off more than 400 employees and has announced plans to close before the end of the year.
The city manager noted several businesses coming and recently opened. “First Watch breakfast and brunch restaurant opened today. Recently Cook Out opened, Panda Express plans to build at the corner of Fourth and West Main, construction is continuing for WaWa,” he said.
Also at the meeting, Council voted 4-1, with Councilman Randy Foley dissenting, to oppose a specific bill before the General Assembly that would mandate housing growth.
House Bill 804 would require localities to meet mandatory housing growth requirements, and submit housing growth plans to the state.
Council’s resolution says the bill does not adequately consider the unique conditions of each community, and could weaken local decision making.
Foley said he does oppose the bill but voted against the resolution because “in my 20 years on Council, I don’t think Council has ever opposed a specific Bill.”
Councilman John Saunders also said he opposed the Bill, calling it “So blatantly wrong.”
Another split vote defeated changes to the city’s sign ordinance that would have put restrictions on how much lighting businesses could have. The vote was 3-2 against the motion, with Mayor Turk and Councilmen Saunders and Hunter Holliday voting to kill it.
Green and Foley voted for it. Turk said “We need to look at this a bit more before we pass this.”
Vice Mayor Green said the change was “trying to make the city more tasteful and attractive.”
