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HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION PRESERVATION SPECIALIST REPORT September 17, 2012 Since our last meeting, we have been getting responses to the county local landmark survey letters that were sent last month. I have had the pleasure of meeting with some of these home owners and have already seen some of the areas of concern with these properties addressed and work completed. We have taken on a new intern from Notre Dame, Fabian Yang. Fabian is currently working with me on the visits and letters for the city local landmark listing. There has been a sad development in Taylor's Field with the burning of 614 South St Joseph. This house has been an issue with code enforcement for years as well as a tax issue for the county. The current owners have stated that they had sold the property but no transfer paperwork has been received as of last week to the county. The fire began inside the house where vagrants had been staying. Two days prior to the date of the fire both Stan Molenda from code enforcement and myself were in the house and he placed a request to code's "boarding" department but they were unable to complete before the fire. Two other houses 522 and 523 S St Joseph were however successfully secured the following week. In the last two weeks, break-ins of the empty and in -process houses in the 700 block of Lincoln Way East. Trespassers were removed by police from both 701 and 705 LWE. Both these properties have suffered fires and are boarded. (A band broke into 701 to film a music video.) 709 Lincoln Way East (Eric Ford's studio) was also broken into and burglarized last night. On a much happier note, the release party for the window repair DVDs went very well. Indiana Landmarks has graciously offered us the use of the Kaiser house for the windows workshop in spring of 2013. We have also secured 710 N St. Joseph as the location for the wood floor workshop in December. Details shall follow shortly. Houses turned in for code 224 Hammond, vegetation/debris 633 N Lafayette, couches and debris 621 Rex, building 733 Portage, building and debris 608 Rex, building and debris 733 Bronson, bldg and vegetation Houses turned in for lack of permits/COAs: 1410 East Wayne, roof ventilator 978 Riverside, removal of front flower beds Houses visited for consultation/recommendations 901 Riverside Drive, fence and tree work 5450 Miami, front porch and soffitt repair 1705 E LaSalle, window repair Steve Szaday Preservation Specialist