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STAFF REPORT CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS Date: 09.07.2010 Application Number: 20.10-0907A Property Location: 503 Riverside Drive Architectural Style/Date/Architect or Builder: Four Square/1907 Property Owner: Dorothy Scholl -Larry Scholl, .Power of Attorney Landmark or District Designation: River Bend Rating: Contributing DESCRIPTION OF STRUCTURE/ SITE: Two storey house with square plan on block foundation. There is a full width open front porch. Roof is asphalt shingles. This house is built on a bluff. ALTERATIONS: House has vinyl replacement siding. Most windows on the house have been replaced and aluminum storms have been added. Porch columns are replaced with metal; porch floor, stairs and rails are replacement. Shutters have been applied to front windows. Front door is a replacement. There are two small additions to the rear. APPLICATION ITEMS: Prepare land for new construction. See attached. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT: The Schohl's are proposing to demolish the house that their family has owned for more than 50 years. The property is currently a multi -family unit that they rent out. The attached note from the owner states that "over the last 40 years there has been constant water problems causing the foundation to settle, mold, mildew, and rusting of metal support beams." Included in the note is a list of what owners have done to try to remedy the ongoing water issue; current quotes from various contractors to remediate the issue along with a quote from a demolition contractor. The owner reported that all three houses to the North of this property have water problems in the basement as well. The owner would like to remove the house from the site so that the vacant property could be developed, During the site visit, staff observed that in the front, the house is settling in both directions, causing the windows to'slope in either direction. There is evidence of the porch settling as well. Staff observed the obvious settling in the basement. The owner showed us the cistern that was installed in the side yard to the North of the house that collects water piped from the rear yard and travels to the street to be released into the City sewer. This was part of the owner's previous efforts to remedy the water problems. Maintenance of the cistern requires periodic climbing down into the cavernous manhole to clean the "pudding -like gunk" out so that the water can proceed to the City sewer. Staff observed the flow of water into the cistern was a fairly good amount, considering there had been no rainfall in nearly one week. The walls in the cistern have a deep red, iron -like build up on them. Upon staff investigation for this report, it was discovered that this property sits on the exact location of where the Kankakee Mill Race, a man-made canal dug in the 1830s, was terminated at the St. Joseph River. A four storey grist mill stood from 1837 until the Race failed in the 1850s. After 1885 the land was the site of the Christian Soen's Brick and Drying Yards. Staff spoke with Carl Littrell, City Engineer to get his perspective on the location of the property in relation to the past use of the site. Carl reported that the soil is clay and was mined for bricks: The brickyard had built a series of canals flowing throughout the yard. In a past job testing soils, Mr. Littrell dug under several basements in this block of -Riverside Drive and discovered trash, debris and water, -all creating differential movements of the houses. In addition to the brickyard, the nearby location of the Water Works in Leeper Park because of the 100 or