Representatives of the Church of the Ascension are trying again
to get Bradford City Council to follow the recommendation of the
Historic Architectural Review Board and approve the demolition of
an apartment building adjacent to the church.

An appeal hearing has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the
city council chambers to review the church’s petition regarding
22-24 Chautauqua Place.

“I don’t know that we’ve had one before,” City Clerk John
Peterson said of the impending hearing. He explained the historic
ordinance allows for anyone dissatisfied with an action by council
to petition within 15 days of the decision for a review of that
decision.

“Council must set a time and place for a hearing, which they
have done,” he explained. “At the hearing, the petitioner will be
given an opportunity to be heard and show why such a permit should
be granted.”

Council could make a decision that same night, or within the
five days allowed by the ordinance, Peterson explained. If the
petitioner still disagrees with council’s decision after the
hearing, they have a right to seek redress with the McKean County
Court of Common Pleas.

“We have received an appeals request from a representative of
Crossgate,” he said. Crossgate is the management company which had
applied for a demolition permit for the apartment building, which
is owned by the Church of the Ascension.

Representatives of the church had gone to HARB to ask to
demolish the apartment house. At the first appearance before HARB,
the permit was denied. However, HARB approved the permit on Oct. 7
in spite of the fact that the house is considered a contributing
building in the historic district.

After HARB approved the permit, city council had to act on it as
well. For what is believed to be the first time, council went
against HARB’s recommendation and denied the demolition permit
without giving a reason.

Bill Tremaine, junior warden of the church in charge of
buildings and property, explained Wednesday that he feels the
church is trying to make the neighborhood better with their
plans.

“I don’t think the council members were really aware of what the
whole story was,” he said. “We’ve had to close the apartment
building because we can’t afford it. There’s only four feet between
the building and the church. We’re trying to protect the
church.”

He added that in some places on the street, there is garbage on
lawns. By Emery Towers expanding their parking lot and adding
landscaping, “that will make that side of Chautauqua look
nice.”

Tremaine added that when the matter went before council for a
vote on Oct. 11, neither he nor Debbie Cavagnaro, senior warden,
chose to address the council to argue in favor of the permit.

“I didn’t say anything at that meeting because I didn’t think I
needed to,” Tremaine explained. “I figured they knew what they
needed to.”

The issue had already been presented to and voted on by HARB –
or the “hysterical society,” as Tremaine referred to the board.

“I really thought it was going to go through,” he said,
expressing his surprise at council’s decision. “We’ve got a
building, we’ve got to do something with it. Winter’s here. We
can’t afford to keep it and we can’t tear it down.

“We’re between a rock and a hard spot.”