Coeur d'Alene fire department damages historic home before preservation committee review

The city’s Historic Preservation Commission is scheduled to meet at noon today to review an application to demolish an older Coeur d’Alene home. 

Only, the Pennsylvania Avenue home has already been pretty well gutted by the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department. 

“That’s an unfortunate setback,” said Walter Burns, commission chair.  

The City Council in November adopted a new section in the Historic Preservation Code creating a demolition review process for historic residential and commercial structures built before 1960.  

A city official said the review is more of a recommendation and educational process to determine if there might be a way to save a historic structure, salvage some of it or at least take some photos before it’s gone. The commission may also request a site visit. 

According to a city report, the new code should have “no significant financial impact to the city or owners of buildings that were built prior to 1960." 

The city’s fire department also receives demolition permit applications. When one came in for the home at 918 Pennsylvania Avenue, it contacted the owner about using it for training purposes. The owner said OK. 

“Unfortunately, the property owner granted permission to the Fire Department to conduct their training activities prior to the review and even though the demolition permit had not been issued,” a fire department press release said. “The Fire Department was not aware of the demolition review meeting scheduled for the subject property.” 

The department recently conducted training exercises, including cutting into the roof and breaching walls, which left the home with holes in the roof and a torn-up interior. 

“After this unfortunate event, the demolition permit review process will be adjusted to account for training opportunities, while granting the Historic Preservation Commission sufficient time to review demolition permits prior to training,” the release said. 

A community cry to protect historic properties arose last year when the 1925 home of the late Dr. E.R.W. "Ted" Fox was demolished and the status of the historic brick Roosevelt Inn, formerly the Roosevelt School built in 1905, was in doubt as it was being sold.

Burns said the meeting today at City Hall in Conference Room 6 will still take place. 

“The public and Commission will be able to weigh in on the structures proposed to replace the existing home, as they relate to the historic character and context of the neighborhood,” the release said.