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A historic house in downtown Lansing is getting a new lease on life after City Council members voted to remove an order that would have led to its demolition.
The house is the first designed by prominent late 19th century architect Darius Moon, who built more than 250 buildings in the Lansing area. Most of the buildings he designed are no longer standing.
It was ordered to be demolished after failing a safety inspection earlier this year. The house had been damaged by a fire and was already red tagged when the current owner, Alesia Flowers, purchased it in 2019.
But City Council members voted unanimously Monday night to remove the order following weeks of advocacy from property owner Alesia Flowers, who says she already invested more than $80,000 dollars in restoring the house and has more funding lined up, including a $500,000 grant.
Officials say it’s the only time dating back at least two decades that City Council members have taken such a step.
While City Council members initially expressed concern about the precedent they would set by removing the order, City Attorney Greg Venker said each determination is specific to the facts of that case.
“There is a distinction with this set of circumstances that is different from others,” Venker said. “A lot of times, people will come forward and say ‘please don’t tear it down, I just need a little bit more time, please don’t tear it down, I just need a little bit more time,’ but there is no demonstration that a little bit more time will do anything.”
Venker said he would advise City Council members not to pass a similar resolution if material circumstances for that property have not changed.
“The way this was brought forward, and the way that I understand it, is that there are new facts and a change in circumstance that would justify this change in posture as to this property, but not open us up to the same thing from every other person who’s ever been before you,” Venker said.
Councilmember Trini Pehlivanoglu said she had worked with the city attorney for several weeks to determine if removing the order would open the city up to additional property owners requesting City Council members do the same for their properties but had faith in Venker’s explanation.
“While there is always going to be a small element of risk in the decisions we make up here every week, I do think that if the floodgates of risk were to open that substantially, the advice I would expect to receive from the city attorney would be, don’t do that,” Pehlivanoglu said.
Councilmember Peter Spadafore said he hopes the action does establish a new precedent that sparks more property owners to make improvements to their property.
City Council members tabled a motion to form a committee that would have studied making the house part of a historic district.
City Council President Ryan Kost said making the house part of a historic district would have helped further distinguish the property and ensured its long-term preservation.
But Flowers and others expressed concern that such a move could lead to work on the house being paused and restrictions being placed on the types of renovations that could be done.
“If you do your study, you will find out there is already a historical covenant placed on the exterior of that house,” Flowers said. “That house was already deemed historical.”
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