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Re: RE: (rshsdepot) Re: Kentville NS Roundhouse destroyed

That's what I want my book to emphasize, the attitude of municipal governments towards heritage property, which they continue to look at only in terms of its tax revenue potential rather than what it adds to the quality of life in the community.
We produced all kinds of independent expert opinion that showed a restored roundhouse would be a cheaper proposition as a cultural centre (theatre, library, museum) than a new building (which is planned for elsewhere in the town) and environmentally much more friendly than a new building.
The main problem - as far as railway buildings are concerned - are the environmental impacts of distubring the land. Railway yards like Kentville's require expensive remediation, but the town has the money to clean up the entire 7 hectare site,...they just want private enterprise proposing to build on the land to pay that bill back!
Th mayor claimed the lead paint and asbestos in the building made it expensive to restore for public use, but the demolition crew had to clean out those maerials before demolition could take place, just as they would if the building was to be restored.
There is a municipal eelction in October. We shall see how Kentville citizens react to not having been consulted on the issue.
Our petitions in favour of restoration collected more than 250 names from Kentville, and more than 600 from across North Anerica and as far away as Sweden and Germany!
Jay Underwood
Elmsdal NS 
> 
> From: luckyshow_@_mindspring.com
> Date: 2007/07/11 Wed AM 09:12:06 EDT
> To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net
> Subject: Re: RE: (rshsdepot) Re: Kentville NS Roundhouse destroyed
> 
> I just don't get it. Evidently, many don't appreciate what rail was, what it meant, etc.  I still think this is like destroying a Roman ampitheatre and someday will be seen this way. I once was an idealistic urbn planner but now am something completely differnt, landmark preservation was a bottom priority and I worked in wehat became Silicon Valley. They did fix teh old SP station in San Jose, but so much fell, inlcuding recently the WP freight station, so much of the history was turned into parking lots
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: jp.underwood_@_ns.sympatico.ca
> >Sent: Jul 11, 2007 7:08 AM
> >To: luckyshow_@_mindspring.com, rshsdepot@lists.railfan.net
> >Subject: Re: RE: (rshsdepot) Re: Kentville NS Roundhouse destroyed
> >
> >I'm planning to do a book on the lobby, and compare it with the way the town of Truro NS tore down its 1915 sandstone Intercolonial station in the early 70s (and now the town is considering trying to recreate it!) and Bridgewater NS allowed its 1904 Halifax & Southwestern Railway to burn down in the 1980s to pave the way for... a Burger King!
> >I have to do a draft for my publisher, and I'm going to point to at least three conflicts of interest involved in the Kentville desecration.
> >Jay Underwood
> >Elmsdale 
> >> 
> >> From: "Paul Luchter" <luckyshow_@_mindspring.com>
> >> Date: 2007/07/10 Tue PM 08:16:04 EDT
> >> To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net
> >> Subject: RE: (rshsdepot) Re: Kentville NS Roundhouse destroyed
> >> 
> >> This type of thing enrages me
> >> 
> >> 
> >> > [Original Message]
> >> > From: <jp.underwood_@_ns.sympatico.ca>
> >> > To: <rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net>
> >> > Date: 7/10/2007 7:43:52 PM
> >> > Subject: (rshsdepot) Re: Kentville NS Roundhouse destroyed
> >> >
> >> > Despite pleas for more time to investigate sources for funding for its
> >> restoration, the Town of Kentville Nova Scota tore down the historic
> >> Dominion Atlantic Railway roundhouse Monday July 9, the last building of
> >> its kind in Canada east of Montreal.
> >> > The town had claimed it could not afford the money necessary to restore
> >> the 24,000 square foot 1916 building, but at no time was a feasibilty study
> >> conducted to determine what the cost might be, and at no time would council
> >> consider delaying the demolition until volunteer groups like the Nova
> >> Scotia Railway Heritage Society could find funding, which was available if
> >> te town had designated the structure a heritage property.
> >> > The roundhouse had originaly be targeted for restoration in a 2001
> >> development plan, but that plan appears to have died with Mayor Gary Pearl
> >> in 2005, and new Mayor David Corkum indicated he had no intention of saving
> >> the building, which is to be removed to allow for as-yet unspecfified new
> >> development.
> >> > Jay Underwood
> >> > Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society
> >> > Elmsdale NS
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > From Railfare-DC Books:
> >> > http://www.railfare.net/From%20Folly%20to%20Fortune.html
> >> > http://railfare.net/builtforwar.html
> >> > Visit the Nova Scotia Railway Hall of Fame:
> >> > http://www.nsrwyhalloffame.com/
> >> > Visit the Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society:
> >> > http://novascotiarailwayheritage.com/
> >> >
> >> > =================================
> >> > The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
> >> > railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org
> >> > To Unsubscribe: http://lists.railfan.net/rshsdepot-photo/unsub.html
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > -- 
> >> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> >> > Checked by AVG Free Edition. 
> >> > Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.2/890 - Release Date: 7/7/2007
> >> 3:26 PM
> >> 
> >> 
> >> =================================
> >> The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
> >> railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org
> >> To Unsubscribe: http://lists.railfan.net/rshsdepot-photo/unsub.html
> >> 
> >
> >From Railfare-DC Books:
> >http://www.railfare.net/From%20Folly%20to%20Fortune.html
> >http://railfare.net/builtforwar.html
> >Visit the Nova Scotia Railway Hall of Fame:
> >http://www.nsrwyhalloffame.com/
> >Visit the Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society:
> >http://novascotiarailwayheritage.com/
> >
> >=================================
> >The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
> >railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org
> >To Unsubscribe: http://lists.railfan.net/rshsdepot-photo/unsub.html
> 
> =================================
> The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
> railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org
> To Unsubscribe: http://lists.railfan.net/rshsdepot-photo/unsub.html
> 

From Railfare-DC Books:
http://www.railfare.net/From%20Folly%20to%20Fortune.html
http://railfare.net/builtforwar.html
Visit the Nova Scotia Railway Hall of Fame:
http://www.nsrwyhalloffame.com/
Visit the Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society:
http://novascotiarailwayheritage.com/

=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org
To Unsubscribe: http://lists.railfan.net/rshsdepot-photo/unsub.html

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