The Allentown Neighbor

The Allentown Neighbor December 2010; January, February 2011 Volume 45, Number 4 Published quarterly by the Allentown Association Inc., 14 Allen St., Buffalo, New York 14202 (716) 881-1024. Email, [email protected]. Website, www.allentown.org Delaware-Virginia project to go ahead; spring start seen By Pete Carroll “when we’re ready, we’ll apply,” he added. The board has 10 members and one vacancy. Board The developer of a planned $2-million office and Chairman Paul MacDonald was absent from the meeting. townhouse development at the northwest corner of Dela- Vice Chairman Eric Lander presided. He, Timothy Tielman, ware Ave. and Virginia St. has authorization to proceed. Joseph Kunkemoerrer and Richard Lippes voted against ap- The city Preservation Board split four to four Sept. 16 proval. Russell Maxwell, Gwen Howard, Edward Watts and on a motion to approve the plans of Scott S. Croce for the Sam Gurney voted to approve. 20,000-square-foot development of a medical office A spring construction start is likely, and a building permit building and three town houses. Six votes were needed will be sought as soon as plans are ready for the three-story for approval. medical office building on the Delaware Ave. side of the But Alan Gerstman, lawyer for the Preservation Board, property and three townhouses on the Virginia St. side. Mat- determined that the board, by its split vote, took no action thew Moscati, project architect, said. and failed to approve or deny the project within 45 days The board previously authorized demolition of the former of application as required by state law and thereby author- Cloister restaurant on the site, once the site of the home of ized it. Alan Gerstman said he agreed with arguments by Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) and his bride. the developer’s lawyer, Richard Stanton. That clears the The brick carriage house on the Holloway Alley side of way for the developer to apply for a building permit and the property, once owned by Mark Twain, is not to be de- molished. The city Planning board New officers, board members are elected gave its approval Sept. 14 to the plan, including traffic and land- scaping. Richard Haynes, a former Association The Allentown Association has a new Please turn to Page 5 slate of officers, headed by Tim Riordan, president, was elected secretary. Matthew and two new members of the Board of Di- Moscati was re-elected treasurer. rectors. Tim Riordan is a full-time Realtor Inside this issue Tim Riordan with MJ Peterson Real Estate on Dela- Santa arrives Dec. 3 Page 2 was elected by ware Ave. in Allentown, specializing in residential real-estate with a focus on the the board Nov. 9 One Allentown Page 3 to succeed city of Buffalo. He and his wife Kerry Mathew Ryan just celebrated their one-year anniversary who is stepping and are expecting their first child in May. Business news Page 4 down after a Renovation plans are under way at their two-year term. one -bedroom carriage house on Franklin Almanac Page 6 Gina Maramag St. and Lura Bechtel The board welcomes two new mem- Carole Holcberg Page 8 were re-elected bers of the board, LaVerne Peakes and vice presidents, Julia Hall, elected as the annual meting Calendar Page 10 and Ed Castine Tim Riordan Oct. 12. was elected a Please turn to Page 2 Allen St. meeting Page 12 vice president. Tim Riordan Page 2 The Allentown Neighbor Winter 2010-11 Holiday festivities, gallery tour are Friday, Dec. 3 For a family-friendly evening of holiday cheer, look no thetics of Allentown has donated the tree, and volunteers have further than Allentown. The Allentown Association and decorated light poles with wreaths along Allen St. the First Fridays Gallery Tour are once again joining Allentown art galleries will keep special evening hours, forces to present this annual holiday event. and host performances by a variety of local musicians. Be part Plans include a tree-lighting ceremony at 6:30 p.m., of this very special holiday event, from 6 to 9 p.m. For an list Friday, Dec. 3, caroling by Truman School second graders of all participating locations and activities, please visit and free rides on a festive horse-drawn carriage. Santa had www.firstfridaysallentown.com so much fun last year, that he made us promise to let him Participating Allentown galleries will also be open evening ride in the carriage again. East Coast Orthotics and Pros- hours on First Fridays Jan. 7 and Feb. 4. Association members elect directors, who elect officers Continued from Page 1 national's expert on counter-terrorism and human rights. The board would like to thank Matt Ryan for great ser- She is particularly interested in working on issues that vice during four years on the board, the last two as presi- relate to the Days Park neighborhood, and also to the Elm- dent, and departing board members Deborah Ellis and Jim wood Village Charter School. Previously, those issues have Rhoades, for their service, as well as Peter Grimes, step- been covered ably and graciously by departing member ping down as an ex officio member. Deborah Ellis, so the board is looking forward to having a LaVerne Peakes is a returning director --she was on the new voice to represent those important constituencies. board for three years-- and after a year off she has agreed to The slates of officers and directors were presented by the come back on. She has been instrumental in the success of Nominating Committee headed by Caitlin Crowell. About Secrets of Allentown, which she plans to continue to help 40 members and Council Members Curtis Haynes and organize, and has started “the first ever Allentown Annual David Rivera attended the annual meeting in the Karpeles Appeal" (see page 9). Manuscript Museum, 220 North St., with refreshments pro- Julia Hall brings to the board a belief in the importance vided by Quaker Bonnet during a social hour. Officers and of working at a local level to be informed about and to im- committee chairmen gave reports on Association activities . prove one's community. She has long been involved in hu- Board members and non-voting ex officio directors who man rights legal work, and she is currently Amnesty Inter- were re-elected are listed on page 7. Page 3 The Allentown Neighbor Winter 2010-11 “One Allentown” will create a single historic district the State Historic Preservation Office. By Christopher Brown Another problem occurs when municipalities or organi- zations that own structures (i.e. Bosche Building, the Allen- The Allentown Association is leading an effort to make town Association, Troop I/Hamlin House, among others) the local historic and National Register district boundaries apply to funding foundations for historic renovation grants. one and the same. For the last 30 years, there have been Often a funder will not consider a request unless the struc- two Allentown districts: (one) the Local (Buffalo) Historic ture is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. District created in 1977 and (two) a subset, west of Dela- With the support of the State Historic Preservation Of- ware Ave., that was listed on the National Register of His- fice and the Buffalo Preservation Board, the Allentown As- toric Places in 1980. sociation has retained architectural history consultants Dr. The reason for this dichotomy is Delaware Ave. By Frank Kowsky and Martin Wachadlo to remedy this unde- 1980, Buffalo's nationally-famous Victorian-era residential sirable situation. Since many of the buildings on Delaware street had been weakened within the proposed Allentown Ave. are now 50 years old (the minimum age for listing on boundaries with banal contemporary commercial architec- the National Register of Historic Places), it seems to be an ture. The Allentown Association fought valiantly during ideal time to cor- the 1960s to prevent the loss of Delaware Ave. mansions, rect this problem The two-district situation replaced with low-slung office buildings and vast parking once and for all. has caused much confusion lots. In many cases the Association was unsuccessful. Be- Dr. Kowsky, a and deprived Allentown of cause of the loss of integrity along Delaware Ave., the so- retired distin- lution was simply to list only the western portion of Allen- guished professor financial incentives. town on the National Register of Historic Places. at Buffalo State This dual-district situation has caused much confusion College, is a national expert on Frederick Law Olmsted and and deprived Allentown of development opportunities as Calvert Vaux as well as Victorian architect Frederick some properties are located on streets that don’t qualify for Clarke Withers. Dr. Kowsky is especially suited to address tax-credits or other financial incentives. Delaware Ave. in Allentown as he wrote the chapter Some of the problems associated with having two sepa- "Delaware Avenue," in the book The Grand American Ave- rate and distinct historic districts can be evidenced by the nue: 1850-1920 . Martin Wachadlo holds a master’s degree rash of changes to buildings that are submitted to the Buf- in architectural history from the University of Virginia and falo Preservation Board for approval after-the-fact because has volunteered his skills for the Association’s Secrets of owners were not aware that their structure was in a preser- Allentown historic house tours. Together, they will research vation district, or were unaware of the full scope of their and write an Allentown Cultural Resource Survey that will responsibilities and the restrictions. be the basis for a new consolidated National Register of Also, when government incentive programs aimed at Historic Places nomination that will be filed with the State historic rehabilitation are implemented, they are typically Historic Preservation Office and Buffalo Preservation targeted to properties that are listed (or eligible for listing) Board.

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