TR
January 17, 1979
..Viarietta Council
(cont.)
[continued from front page]
other fire truck dealers.
Geesey replied that the
others were much more
expensive; the well-known
makes, such as LaFrance,
start at more than $100
thousand dollars, and are
no better, he said.
Zuch still favored re-
bidding, and so moved. But
his was the only vote in
favor of the motion.
It was decided that a
special meeting will be
held to accept or reject the
two bids after the specs are
checked out. The firemen
will be represented.
Bids on heavy equipment
rentals were opened. It was
decided that, as was done
last year, the lowest bidder
in each category of heavy
equipment wii be hired.
Councilman Roberts made
this motion, and he will
draw up the reference
chart.
After this the Public
Hour was held.
A woman complained
about a street light on
Hazel Avenue behind the
Reformed Church. She said
that kids gather under it on
Sunday nights, the only
time it is lit up.
‘“A very religious light,”’
commented Mr. Kulman.
The problem was referr-
ed to the Police.
Keri Ross, president of
the Restoration Associates,
spoke about the new flood
law, and borough solicitor
Rick Umbenhauer gave
Council the legal side of
the situation. (See accom-
panying article.)
Council adopted a resolu-
tion to urge the State
Legislature to adopt the
‘“80-20’’ idea for sharing
the gasoline tax with local
governments.
A revised personnel
policy for mnon-uniformed
and permanent part-time
employees was voted in. It
is now identical to the one
for uniformed workers.
Marietta Authority terms
were set as follows: James
Baker, chairman, 12/31/80;
Ben Thompson, vice chair-
man, 12/31/79; and Ralph
Miller, 12/31/81.
On the Zoning Hearing
Board, these terms were
set: James Sargen, 1980;
Ronald Perry, 1979; and
Roy Kibler (reappointed),
1981.
Harold McElroy was
reappointed to the Planning
Commission, as was Arthur
Haines. Both of their terms
expire in 1982. Ken
Geesey, another member,
holds office until 1980.
Tom Lavin, the zoning
officer, reported that al-
most a half million dollars
was spent on new and
continuing contruction in
the borough in 1978—twice
the amount spent the year
before. He also reported
that a use and occupancy
permit was issued to a
shop on Wasp Street, and a
builder’s request to build
three new townhouses on
West Walnut Street was
denied because there was
not enough space for a side
yard on the property.
A building a 232 West
Walnut Street has been
demolished by the owner at
the request of the housing
committee.
The Ultimate Solution
When the Historic Dis-
trict in Marietta was
declared, some residents
felt a threat of government
control, and this paper
reassured them that the
District is nothing to fret
over. ‘An historic preserva-
tion officer in Harrisburg
was quoted as saying,
““This will protect Marietta
from state and federal
bureaucracies.”
Now that HUD is
breathing down the bor-
ough’s neck with its flood
insurance regulations,
the District is indeed a
blessing—but only for the
section of town it covers.
All of East Front Street is
still in the shadow of wide-
spread bulldozing.
The are two possible
courses of action for
Marietta. One approach is
to dispute the hydrologic
study that puts all of Front
Street and the back yards
of some Market Street
properties into HUD’s
jurisdiction: the other is to
enlarge or augment the
Historic District. °
The first possibility is
expensive, uncertain, and
very unlikely to substantial-
ly change the official flood-
plain borders, but the
second shows much more
promise.
Several weeks ago, the
Susquehanna Times placed
a call to Charles Herring-
ton, the chief of registra-
tion at the National
Register in Washington.
Mr. Herrington is a
frequent visitor to Marietta
and a man who appreciates
the town’s historic aspects.
After being informed of
the situation, Mr.
Herrington called the State
Office of Historic Preserva-
tion in Harrisburg, and
expressed his view that the
entire town of Marietta
should probably be placed
on the National Register.
Whether or not the state
historic people will move
quickly on Mr. Herring-
ton’s advice remains to be
seen. They have an entire
state to catalogue. It is
possible that some lobbying
might speed things up.
An official of the state
office, Vance Packard, told
the Times that, if the
process of putting Marietta
into the Historic District
had been started yesterday,
the entire town would
probably be included. (The
state office selects, re-
searches, and maps historic
places within each state;
the office in Washington
approves the sites). The
reason, he said, is that the
idea of what is ‘‘historic’’
...Umbenhauer reports
(continued)
[continued from front page]
After that, Marietta has
90 days to appeal. Six
months after the appeal
deadline, the law will take
effect.
Right now, the only basis
of appeal is the map drawn
up by the federal agents.
(This map, showing the 100
year flood line, was
reproduced in the Susque-
hanna Times a few weeks
ago; the official map is in
the borough office.) Council .
discussed hiring an engin-
eer to find errors in the
map. Apparently errors are
not that rare.
Once the Jaw is in effect,
citizens can appeal to the
mayor, and the Zoning
Hearing Board can grant
variances, but only in the
Historic District (to those
properties listed as ‘“‘intru-
sions’’). Umbenhauer spec-
ulated that HUD agents
would be sent if too many
variances were issued,
however; each must be
reported.
If a variance is granted,
the homeowner can expect
his flood insurance to sky-
rocket. Present rates are
partially subsidized by the
U.S.; post-variance rates
could run as high as $25
per $100 coverage.
Houses in the flood plain
would be inelligible for
coverage over $35,000.
has expanded in recent
years. With today’s broad-
er basis, East Front Street
as well as West Front
would have been included.
A listing with the
National Register is not
needed to escape the jaws
of HUD’s flood law,
however. Inclusion in a
state listing is as good as
being in the National
Register.
Mr. Packard said that it
is “not difficult’”’ to get
onto the Pennsylvania
Inventory of historic places.
Either a district or an
individual property owner
can apply. For one house,
he estimated the work at a
couple of days’ research. It
would be helpful to have
the aid of someone who has
experience or knowledge in
such things, he said.
The research would in-
volve, most likely, some
title searching in the court-
house, written description
of the property’s historic
aspects, and some photo-
graphs.
The cut-off date for
““historic’’ status with the
National Register is 1929.
Anyone who wants to get
the needed forms to apply
should write to the Office
of Historic Preservation,
Box 1026, Harrisburg PA
17120.
ment will probably buy the
‘Such a property would
Picture
your
community
without
the Arts.
If a house is damaged to
more than 50% of market
value, the federal govern-
ruined property, he said.
However, he didn’t know
how much they would pay.
almost worthless on the
open market, because it
would be illegal to build
anything else there after
the old structure was torn
down, as the law demands.
Umbenhauer was unable
to answer many questions
because the law is so ow,
Although passed in 1971,
has only started to %
implemented in the last
two years, and hard
answers to many questions
are not there. No prece-
dents and few procedures
are established.
Asked what constitutes
floodproofing, he said, “‘I
can neither interpret nor
remember all those crazy
regulations.’’
These other questions
have no answer as yet: Are
all properties within the
Historic District immune
from HUD’s regulations, or
only those not listed as
“intrusions’’? How much
control will HUD exercise
directly in the borough,
and under what circum-
stances? Will those washed
Imagine no theatre. No music. No sculpture
or painting. Picture the arts gone and yeu
picture a lot of beauty missing.
But the arts not only create beauty, they
create jobs.
Because the arts attract tourists. And the
dollars tourists spend in restaurants and hotels.
on transportation and in stores
The arts attract industry. Businesses prefer
to locate incommunities with a nch cultural life
And the arts are an industry in themselves.
Like any other industry they employ people,
buy goods and services, and generate taxes
Picture your community without the arts
‘and you have to imagine industry and jobs
gone, too. And after that, the people
So it'd not only be pretty dull, it'd be pretty
lonely.
That's
Support ae
The Arts are. pechie
National Endowment for the Arts
out ‘by a flood: be
compensated, and for how
much?
0
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