June 2018 | Vol. 18 Iss. 06
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PRESERVATIONISTS AWARDED VICTORY in Vine Street historic buildings fight By Shaun Delliskave | s.delliskave@mycityjournals.com
M
urray City and developers were handed a defeat regarding the demolition of the historic Murray 1st Ward, Carnegie Library, and Jones Court buildings. Judge Keith A. Kelly of the 3rd District Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, Kathleen Stanford, who argued that the certificate of appropriateness granted by the Murray City Planning Commission, which would eventually result in the demolition of the buildings, was granted arbitrarily and inappropriately. In his Stanford vs. Murray City conclusion, Kelly asserted, “Murray City and its Planning Commission acted arbitrarily and capriciously, and illegally, in approving the destruction of the Historic Buildings. Based upon this, the Court grants the Petition for Review and sets aside the City’s approval for destruction of the Historic Buildings.” “The judge was simply calling on Murray City to follow its own code and the desires of its citizens to protect these buildings,” said Stanford. While the case is pending a decision to appeal, Murray City has declined to comment. Co-defendant JR Miller/Dakota Pacific has not returned Murray City Journal’s email request for comment. In the formation of the Murray City Center District (MCCD), Murray City Code expressly identifies certain properties that “are deemed historically significant and will be preserved.” The law specifically designates the former Mount Vernon School properties as included in the MCCD and therefore applicable to historic preservation. This decision may have a broader impact on other communities and the development of historic properties. Dr. David Amott, preservation program director for Preservation Utah noted, “We believe that… this judgment conveys to developers, lo-
Judge Keith A. Kelly sets aside Murray City’s approval for destruction of historic Vine Street buildings. (Photo James Delliskave)
cal officials and administrators and the public that historic preservation process requires significant research and factual proof when community landmarks are proposed for demolition.” The historic buildings located at 184 Vine Street are listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places within the Murray Downtown Residential Historic District. The largest building is the 1907 Gothic-style church, commonly referred to as the Murray 1st Ward Building. Built by the LDS Church, the building
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was enlarged in 1928. The Carnegie Library was built in 1915 and enlarged in the 1970s. The oldest structures in the complex include the 1905 Colonial Dutch Revival Jones Court Duplexes and the 1906 Vine Street Duplex. The LDS Church sold its chapel to Mount Vernon Academy in the 1970s, who then transformed it into a private school. The school later acquired the surrounding properties, including the Continued on Page 5...
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