Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 14, 1990 TAG: 9006140478
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The home, built by a former Roanoke mayor, is located in the Old Southwest Historic District. That means, according to the city zoning code, that demolition can proceed only if it would have no adverse effect on the neighborhood or the public. Enough people, including neighborhood residents and descendants of Boxley, want to save the home to place it in the should-save category.
"The house always has been a landmark in that part of town," says Abney Boxley Jr., a great-grandson of the late Mayor Boxley. Mayor Boxley, a railroad contractor, built the stately, neoclassic house at Washington Avenue and Franklin Road Southwest in the early 1900s. He served as mayor from 1918-22.
The current owner of the Boxley House, plastic surgeon Bruce Freeman, did enough damage to the neighborhood when he tore down the house next door to the Boxley House, before the city passed a protective ordinance in 1987. He also spent more than $100,000 in proceeds from tax-free industrial-development bonds to finance a restoration project that never got off the ground. Freeman planned to renovate the Boxley House into a plastic-surgery clinic. He has since abandoned those plans and moved to Norfolk.
Blowing town and leaving the city with an empty lot would be a final insult Freeman shouldn't be allowed to inflict on Roanoke.
To proceed with demolition, Freeman would need an OK from the city's Architectural Review Board. If it says no, Freeman could appeal to the City Council. If it says no, Freeman still would be free to demolish the home if he kept it on the market for one year and couldn't find a buyer.
Freeman has not asked the Architectural Review Board to consider his request, but he was advised of the requirement when he applied last month for a demolition permit. If ever there's a case for withholding permission to demolish, this is one.
Ultimately, historic preservation is the responsibility of the community, not government. Short of finding a buyer, nothing can be done if Freeman decides to proceed.
It's to be expected that Freeman would look out for his personal financial interests. But public interests are at stake as well. The city should do what it can to save the Boxley House, to ensure that this part of Roanoke's legacy is not reduced to dust.
by CNB