cewall

Wed, Jan 6, 2010 : 1:39 p.m.

My wife and I are saddened to loose the Cody House. We have been involved in historic preservation efforts for many years, starting more than 30 years ago to preserve her grandfathers historic flour mill in southeast Ohio and subsequently her grandfathers house: see www.strattonhouse.com. We have worked in Pittsfield Township to preserve the Sutherland-Wilson Farm. I have been on the board of the Pittsfield Township Historical Society and founded and maintain its website. My wife is co-chair of both the historical society and the Pittsfield Township Historical Commission. We do not just talk about preservation; we place our own funds and much personal effort behind these objectives. Earlier in 2009, Mandy Grewal, Supervisor of Pittsfield Charter Township, asked the historical society and the historical commission to find ways to preserve the Cody House. Neither came forward with a plan to do so. Thus, following Thanksgiving, I personally made one last effort to do so. Mandy Grewall committed $20,000 of township funds to move the Cody House across Textile to the site of Sutherland-Wilson Farm Museum. There, the house would have been staged temporarily on beams and fenced off while I was given time to raise funds to move the house to a permanent location. However, Mandy wanted the support of the Pittsfield Township Historical Society for this temporary move because the society had raised the funds to preserve the historic farm, and still has a major focus on its continuing restoration. Unfortunately, about half the society board apposed such a move for various reasons, ranging from you cant save every building to it would reduce parking space for the harvest festival. In the midst of these negotiations, my wife and I stopped at the Cody House on December 3 or 4, and spoke with the man who was tearing down the farm buildings. We toured the house for the last time, and saw the infrastructure of the house then exposed in several places 14 20 ceiling boards, tenon and mortis beams, etc. The man said he had become so impressed with the structure of the house that he planned to salvage key components of the house, move them to property he owned near Fowlerville, and at some future time reconstruct the house using those key components. In other words, it was too late to save the house by moving it temporarily to the Sutherland-Wilson Farm Museum. My wife and I were saddened to loose the house from Pittsfield Township, but grateful it would not be destroyed entirely. We communicated this information to Mandy Grewall, the Pittsfield Township Historical Society, and to the Saline Area Historical Society. As a result, efforts to save the house were discontinued. This was a great loss to my wife and me. Since 2002 we have envisioned the establishment of a cultural village and activity center at our historic town center on an open portion of Pittsfield Preserve. This is at the intersection of Morgan and Thomas roads, where our first township hall was constructed in 1853. At that location, nine square miles of our original township extend to the northeast, nine to the northwest, nine to the southwest and nine to the southeast. Here we envision construction of a cultural village comprised of old structures moved here because they could not be saved in their original locations. We viewed the Cody House as the first structure to be moved and saved here, and I was willing personally to try to raise the funds to achieve this. Mandy Grewall, by committing $20,000 to move the Cody House across the road, was opening opportunities to explore this further. In the historic town center, my wife and I envision also reconstructing some of the historic structures already lost such as the old depot that once served the north-south Ann Arbor Railroad and the east-west New York Central. That depot was known as Pittsfield Junction. We envision that structure being reconstructed at one corner of an old-time town square. The structures that are moved here or reconstructed here all would have adapted uses not just be preserved as historic relics. For example, the loading platforms of the depot could become a performance stage for a wide range of musical events and other performances. The depot itself could become dressing rooms and support space for performances. The Cody House could become a sandwich shop or old-time ice cream parlor. We envision bike paths and sidewalks leading and converging here from all corners of the township so that families can safely access the historic town center by non-motorized means. We envision this cultural village and activity center our second Pittsfield Junction becoming the defining element in our future identity as a township community. In part, the Cody House could have been the catalyst for bringing this vision to life. My wife and I will continue to promote the concept of a cultural village and activity center at the historic town center of Pittsfield Township, and we are gratified to have the strong support of several other key persons in our community. If this vision becomes reality, we will have the opportunity to reconstruct the exterior of the Cody House, with adaptive space constructed inside. In reality, it will less expensive to do that than to have converted the original structure which had a bizarre set of interior and attached spaces. My wife and I thank Mandy Grewall for giving us an opportunity to save the Cody House and for her financial commitment to help make that happen. Statements made by her or others related to preservation of the Cody House and the intent to reconstruct a house near Fowlerville using components of the Cody House were statements I conveyed to them. I conveyed that information in good faith and with a very heavy heart. C. Edward Wall / Mary Ellen Wall

Pittsfield Pam

Wed, Jan 6, 2010 : 12:33 a.m.

The statements I made were not political slams against Supervisor Grewal. Your comments slandering the previous Board by falsely claiming they were paid "Wal-Mart bribes" are political slams, and are similar to the false statements made by Supervisor Grewal and her supporters in her last campaign. The problem with electing dishonest politicians is that you then have a dishonest government. Supervisor Grewal has established a pattern of dishonest statements over the past year, and I am surprised that reporters continue to believe her. Just look at the caption under the photo: The house has the roof, siding, porch, and other architectural features ripped off. It is in the process of demolition, not preservation, yet the caption cheerfully states it "is being prepped to move." Supervisor Grewal confirms this in the first paragraph. The day after that photo was taken, the house was almost entirely knocked down (Monday); today it looks like a small heap of sticks (Tuesday). I guess you could say it is being moved: one board at a time it is being moved into a dumpster. My point is that Supervisor Grewal's statement was completely false and includes propaganda about the Township not having funds for this modest project: she stated that the farmhouse was being moved - it was obviously not moved, it was demolished (she lives across the street and must have driven by it being demolished for the past 5 days, unless she is out of town); she expresses happiness that it is being preserved - it is not being preserved; she states that there were no funds available, and implies that funds spent moving the house would have cut into mandated services - there are millions of dollars in reserves in the Township's General Fund, the Public Safety Fund, and the Utilities Fund, and other essential funds, according to the last audit and budget. Whether you agree with the project of moving this historic house or not, it would not have impacted mandated services if the house was moved. In addition, donations were offered at the time the previous Board discussed moving it and the owner agreed to contribute the cost of the demolition. This Board did not wish to preserve this house, so the owner spent the money to demolish the house (less costly than moving it.) The previous Board was fiscally restrained and did not spend money capriciously: it spent money to acquire assets for the public, to preserve natural and historic features, and for essential services, and still left millions of dollars in reserves. The current Board spends money differently, on high-paying Township taxpayer-funded positions for friends and campaign supporters and donors; on fancy publications; and on decorating Township Hall. It is not a frugal Board. The Township Supervisor, Treasurer, and Clerk are the highest paid in Washtenaw County. Grewal is paid over $80K per year, the Clerk and Treasurer over $75K per year, with golden benefits, large staffs, and part- time schedules. It is not a question of whether or not the Township can afford this project. It is a question of how this Board chooses to spend money. The Supervisor has established a pattern of dissembling and misrepresentation, which she uses to justify her actions. Personally, I think it would have been a nice community project, restoring this historic house nearby on the Pittsfield Preserve. But this Board does not represent me.

Pittsfield Pam

Wed, Jan 6, 2010 : 12:31 a.m.

The statements I made were not political slams against Supervisor Grewal. Your comments slandering the previous Board by falsely claiming they were paid "Wal-Mart bribes" are political slams, and are similar to the false statements made by Supervisor Grewal and her supporters in her last campaign. The problem with electing dishonest politicians is that you then have a dishonest government. Supervisor Grewal has established a pattern of dishonest statements over the past year, and I am surprised that reporters continue to believe her. Just look at the caption under the photo: The house has the roof, siding, porch, and other architectural features ripped off. It is in the process of demolition, not preservation, yet the caption cheerfully states it "is being prepped to move." Supervisor Grewal confirms this in the first paragraph. The day after that photo was taken, the house was almost entirely knocked down (Monday); today it looks like a small heap of sticks (Tuesday). I guess you could say it is being moved: one board at a time it is being moved into a dumpster. My point is that Supervisor Grewal's statement was completely false and includes propaganda about the Township not having funds for this modest project: she stated that the farmhouse was being moved - it was obviously not moved, it was demolished (she lives across the street and must have driven by it being demolished for the past 5 days, unless she is out of town); she expresses happiness that it is being preserved - it is not being preserved; she states that there were no funds available, and implies that funds spent moving the house would have cut into mandated services - there are millions of dollars in reserves in the Township's General Fund, the Public Safety Fund, and the Utilities Fund, and other essential funds, according to the last audit and budget. Whether you agree with the project of moving this historic house or not, it would not have impacted mandated services if the house was moved. In addition, donations were offered at the time the previous Board discussed moving it and the owner agreed to contribute the cost of the demolition. This Board did not wish to preserve this house, so the owner spent the money to demolish the house (less costly than moving it.) The previous Board was fiscally restrained and did not spend money capriciously: it spent money to acquire assets for the public, to preserve natural and historic features, and for essential services, and still left millions of dollars in reserves. The current Board spends money differently, on high-paying Township taxpayer-funded positions for friends and campaign supporters and donors; on fancy publications; and on decorating Township Hall. It is not a frugal Board. The Township Supervisor, Treasurer, and Clerk are the highest paid in Washtenaw County. Grewal is paid over $80K per year, the Clerk and Treasurer over $75K per year, with golden benefits, large staffs, and part- time schedules. It is not a question of whether or not the Township can afford this project. It is a question of how this Board chooses to spend money. The Supervisor has established a pattern of dissembling and misrepresentation, which she uses to justify her actions. Personally, I think it would have been a nice community project, restoring this historic house nearby on the Pittsfield Preserve. But this Board does not represent me.

treetowncartel

Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 11:50 p.m.

I gotta think those officers in Pittsfield generate enough revenue to pay for their salaries. Did Commander Cody ever stay there?

Anthony Clark

Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 10:03 p.m.

A real shame that the whole property couldn't have been preserved. Virtually every last vestige of Pittsfield Township's agricultural heritage has been destroyed. Yes, times change and progress must happen, but can't we save something of our past? A few small remnants here and there to serve as living links to our past? Why must it all be plowed under?

a2huron

Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 9:05 a.m.

Sounds like a happy ending with the building being preserved. Kudos to Pittsfield Township for their creative efforts that didnt involve the use of scarce public funds. In this economy, every dime should be saved to maintain public safety and essential services. No government should be buying up land or buildings, no matter how historic. As far as the relative value of art, maybe this township can teach the city a few things?

DadR

Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 8:32 a.m.

I appreciate Pittsfield Township's efforts to preserve this historic property and hope the new owner eventually rebuilds the home in the proper fashion. Both Historic Societies (Pittsfield and Saline) also worked to find a local purchaser but were unsuccessful. However, the Saline Historical Society was able to relocate one of the outbuildings to the Rentschler Farm Museum where it is being rehabilitated to serve as a Gift Shop. Our thanks to all who worked on the attempt to save the house. David Rhoads, President Saline Area Historic Society