Lauderdale commissioners approve demolition of 1918 home

A 1918 home once considered a key part of the city's Sailboat Bend Historic District isn't that historic after all, commissioners decided Tuesday as they approved plans for its demolition.

However, they said adequate precautions must be taken so that the demolition does not disturb a centuries-old Indian mound on the Waverly Road property that is teeming with shards of refuse from previous civilizations.

Commissioners listened to pleas from preservationists who said the Rivermont House along the New River had historic value despite its deteriorated condition and the numerous alterations it has undergone over the past century.

But they sided with consultants for property owner Michelle Grosman, who said any historic value had been demolished decades ago through damage inflicted by a 1947 hurricane and flooding, and subsequent construction projects.

"We may have something that may look old, but it's certainly not historic," said Leo Hansen, an architectural consultant for the owner.

Grosman had wanted to restore the home after purchasing it in 2013, but Hansen and architect Bob Tuthill found almost nothing left to salvage.

A report from David Baber, Broward County's historic preservation specialist, said the alterations don't take away the building's historic value.

"Buildings are not considered historic because they have been frozen in time since they were first constructed," Baber's report said. He also said any historic designation applies to the building's exterior, not changes to the interior.

"The substantial alterations made to the interior of the Rivermont house are irrelevant to its significance as a designated historic site," Baber's report said.

But even Commissioner Dean Trantalis, who made the request for the commission to reconsider the unanimous decision by the city's Historic Preservation Board in December to allow the house to be demolished, wasn't persuaded.

Read more:
Lauderdale commissioners approve demolition of 1918 home