<!–Saxotech Paragraph Count: 15
–>

The William Ward House at 1213 Columbia was built in 1855, and the Joseph Shearn House at 1211 Columbia was built in 1870, according to that inventory.

Ginda said she doesn’t think church officials have sufficiently reached out to discuss the houses’ fate with neighbors.

She said since the last demolition effort foundered in July, there hasn’t been a single meeting between church officials and neighbors regarding the homes.

“We don’t want buildings of significant value torn down,” Ginda said. “It’s a bit of a David and Goliath situation from our standpoint.”

Bumbleburg said cathedral officials are working to schedule a meeting that would involve city officials, neighbors and the church. He said the church would be open to considering possibilities such as moving the houses to keep them from being destroyed.

Once the 60-day waiting period ends, the church could be free to knock down the buildings, Bugajski said.

However, a pending request to include the St. Mary’s neighborhood in a local historic district could gum up the church’s demolition plans.

Property owners in the city’s local historic districts must receive historic preservation commission permission to make significant exterior changes — including demolition.

In August, neighborhood association members requested the local historic designation. To create the district, the city’s historic preservation commission would need to recommend the city council do so, then the council would need to comply.

Should the request go forward now, the commission could ask that the Columbia Street houses receive temporary protection that could last up to 120 days, Bugajski said.

However, efforts to create the St. Mary’s local district have stalled, Bugajski said.

Forty-six percent of the neighborhood’s property owners have submitted petitions requesting the district. Bugajski has said city officials would like to see that percentage climb before the request goes any further.

He also said the city has not yet sent formal notices of the request to property owners or held public hearings about it — steps normally taken before the commission asks the council to create a new district.

“There’s potential there for (the district) to be created, but it would take a lot of movement,” Bugajski said.

He said St. Mary’s neighbors have indicated their intent to attend the next historic preservation commission meeting to reiterate their request for a local district.