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Robert Huddleston: My name is Robert Huddleston. I am a certified general appraiser in Indiana and <br />in Michigan and I've been appraising for thirty years at this point. I understand my time is brief, so <br />I'll get try and get right to the point. I inspected the subject property with Mr. Peddycord and found a <br />building in deplorable condition. It is not secure at this point from the weather nor is it secure from <br />apparently a large colony of raccoons that now thinks they're living in the Hilton Hotel. There's <br />obvious evidence where the raccoons have done serious damage to a number of areas in the house. <br />There's a number of windows that are broken out. And every system in the house is not operable: the <br />electric, the plumbing, the heating system. All of that would necessarily have to be replaced. What I <br />did and Mr. Diedrich did is: we looked at sales of houses in that Near Northwest, that Northwest area <br />where this property is located that would have similar structural significance and also located in <br />historical districts. And we looked at it from two directions. The first being: what would the property <br />be worth today if in fact it had just had operable heat, decent electric and a full bathroom because this <br />house only has a half -bath in it. What would it be worth? What could we sell it to someone today for <br />if it was in a better location? Because quite frankly, folks, not many people want a building like that <br />with a mausoleum about 18 feet from the back door, and we also had to determine what the highest <br />and best use of the property was. The building's footprint is so small that like an upscale restaurant <br />would be out of the question. 1118 square feet on the main level after you tear off the non-significant <br />17 by 29 addition that was put onto the rear at some later time. 1118 feet is not enough to operate a <br />restaurant on a main level plus you would have to do all commercial wiring, new HVAC, you'd have <br />to put a better staircase to the upper level and then you'd still have the issue of American for <br />Disability Act and access. We determined really there is just no, there's no demand for a commercial <br />or an office use for this building in this site due to its size and its configuration. So, we said okay <br />what is the best use? We determined that is single-family, but if it is single-family it is not there. <br />Nobody, and I repeat, I don't know of anyone, that wants to live next to a mausoleum and plus there <br />is no actual separate site for the house. The whole thing would have to be surveyed and with setbacks <br />and parking requirements, we're not sure that could be done. So, it was our suggestion that the house <br />should probably be moved and we've talked to our clients about donating the house and having it <br />moved off the site. It was our opinion based on all the data that we looked at that as the property sits <br />today, just the improvements without the foundation and without consideration of the land, it's <br />probably worth no more that $25,000. If we do all the work that we're talking about — the roof, a new <br />kitchen, the electrical, the plumbing, and the heating, you're looking at a minimum, a minimum, of <br />$350,0004400,000 and that house, because of the size that it is will never be worth right now more <br />than $170,000 based on all of the sales that we provided you in this data here. So, it is just not <br />economically feasible for someone to do that especially my owners, now if they want to donate the <br />house; somebody wants to pick it up and move it, I've actually located three sites on Portage Avenue <br />within three blocks of this house that are vacant lots and I'm sure one of those lots could be purchased <br />and put that house on it and it would fit right into that neighborhood just beautifully. And so we <br />believe from a public safety standpoint, the house is not secure to weather nor to animals, that it <br />presents a hazard to the public and secondly, it is just not economically feasible for our client to put <br />that kind of money into it for no real use as far as their operation is concerned. Thank you very much. <br />John Peddycord: For the record, Mr. Peterson, I would like the appraisal of Mr. Driedrich and Mr. <br />Huddleston marked as, admitted as exhibit 5; and did this one page round -about get admitted as <br />exhibit IA? <br />Shawn Peterson: Yes. Do you have any other witnesses? <br />John Peddycord: Yes, I'll just have Mr. Diedrich, and try to avoid duplication, Bernie, but if you <br />want to add anything to... <br />Bernard Diedrich: Yeah, it won't take me long. I am Bernard Diedrich... <br />23 January 2006 HPC Meeting Minutes [Corrected Version] <br />