463 Abeel Street
KINGSTON – Two dilapidated and unsafe houses on Abeel Street in Kingston have been given a final reprieve by the Common Council Tuesday night, which voted to delay demolition if last minute buyers will step up and assume ownership.
The properties, located at 451 and 463 Abeel Street, are both considered historic but are at risk of falling down. The Common Council was prepared to spend $60,000 to demolish both city-owned buildings.
One offer was made by Nathaniel Murray, a local contractor, who said he could clear the hazards at 451 Abeel within 45 days, and make it inhabitable for use as his own home by the end of July 2016. Based on Murray’s promise, the property was removed from the demolition list.
The second house at 463 Abeel is in worse shape, and sits directly below the CSX railroad trestle near Wilbur Avenue, one of the shakiest trestles in the region, which regularly rains debris down upon the building. It is not expected to sell, but aldermen gave it another 45 days.
The issue drew over an hour of debate, including extensive public comment, especially from supporters of the uptown Fireman’s Museum, which risks losing its lease from the city after 35 years of operation.
“Demolition by neglect is no way to love our city,” Jennifer Schwartz Berky, a member of the Landmark Preservation Commission, told the council. “Kingston needs to value historic neighborhoods and those who live in them. We need an affirmative maintenance policy in Kingston, not the policy that encourages neglect and ultimately leads to the kind of demolitions we’ve been seeing.”
Aldermen deliberated at length whether the risk of lawsuit, should one of the buildings collapse on someone, was worth waiting for more time to find new owners to rescue the distressed structures. Alderman Deborah Brown said the goal is to protect the city and human life. She said homeless people often dwell inside these buildings seeking shelter.
“I think we’ve taken a great step forward in dealing with unsafe buildings,” said Alderman Matthew Dunn. “That’s a good place to be in, because we weren’t having those conversations before.”
