Danville Preservation League

Summit examines the effects of historic preservation on economic growth

By Denice Thibodeau
Register & Bee staff writer
Published: September 13, 2008

About 75 people gathered at the former Main Street United Methodist Church on Saturday for the second annual Preservation Summit, held by the Danville Preservation League.

This year’s theme was “Preservation Pays: Economic Development through Historic Preservation,” discussions focusing on how historic preservation efforts can help bring economic development to communities.

Danville Mayor Sherman Saunders led off the event, talking about the efforts Danville’s leaders have made to preserve the city’s historic integrity while bringing growth to the region.

“Over the past four years, we have accomplished the impossible,” Saunders said. “Through hard work, tenacity and sheer determination, we have transformed several of our historic districts into shining examples of historic preservation.”

Saunders pointed to the redevelopment of the Crossing at the Dan and the Tobacco Warehouse District, as well as the city’s aggressive downtown façade program, as examples of historic preservation successes.

Saunders was followed by Donovan Rypkema of PlaceEconomics, a Washington-based real estate and economic development consulting firm.

Rypkema told the crowd that historic preservation needs to be combined with housing, tourism, economic development and other factors to be a success.

He also pointed out that heritage visitors — those who visit cities and towns to see its historic buildings and places — have an important impact on local economies.

“They visit museums, Civil War battlefields, battle sites,” he said. “They stay longer, visit more places and spend two-and-half times as much as other visitors.”

The church was officially dedicated with a ribbon-cutting led by Saunders. It will be the new home of the Danville Preservation League and other preservation groups, according to member Sarah Latham.  

Condominium project wins Virginia development award

From staff reports

Danville Register and Bee

Saturday, September 22, 2007

A new Danville condominium project has been recognized by the Virginia Downtown Development Association.

The Burton Condominiums, a condo project in the Tobacco warehouse district, won the award of excellence for populations under 49,999, according to a news release.  The award was announced by the association Friday.

Anne Moore, community development coordinator for Danville’s Department of Community Development, said the city’s investment in downtown and the warehouse district is paying off.

“We’re confident we’re on the right path,” Moore said Friday.

This is the third time the city of Danville has been honored by the state association for downtown innovations, said Liz Sater, redevelopment assistant.

“We were up against some great competition,” Sater said of the statewide recognition.

Sater said she would have been disappointed had they not won because of the hard work they’ve been doing.

Burton Condominiums were developed by Jerry Peters, who believes developers can cash in on history by using existing structures and remodeling them for other uses.

Construction started on the 29-unit complex in the spring of 2006 and work was completed in January, Moore said.  These top-notch condos range from $129,000 to $249,000, according to the Burton’s Web site.  The average price for a property is $175,000.

The building previously served as the center for Plug & Twist, which was made by Golden Leaf in Southside.

Preservation summit draws a crowd

By DENICE THIBODEAU

Register & Bee staff writer

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Prioritizing, implementing and funding preservation projects were among the topics discussed at the first Danville Preservation Summit on Saturday at Sacred Spaces on Jefferson Avenue.

During the morning, speakers from Danville City Council, APVA-Preservation Virginia, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources gave participants insights into various approaches that can be used for implementing successful preservation projects.

Adam Tomer, Danville City Council member, praised the strides taken so far in Danville, and said there is always more to do.

“Oftentimes, with historic preservation, it’s reactive - we wait until right before the ball’s going to literally hit the building, or the bricks come down, and we have a rally or we sign petitions,” Tomer said. “Meetings like today, it’s about being proactive … go into the meetings, come up with plans, present them to City Council … we’re on the right path, we’ve just got to keep it up.”

Tomer recommended focusing on getting elected officials behind the plans, having plans for raising money to complete the projects and having active citizens involved in the projects.

Louis Malon, of APVA-Preservation Virginia, talked about the benefits of historic preservation in communities, and how it helps connect the community to its past and future.

“My first task is to dispel the notion that historical preservation is about the stately homes of long-dead great white men,” Malon said. “Preservation is about a sense of place, valuing the building and landscapes that define your life. It’s about your house, the house next door and the church up the street, the market down at the corner.”

To feel connected to one’s community, he recommends taking walks through your own neighborhood and patronizing local businesses, and said creative thinking is key to making use of the resources in communities, to think of adaptive uses of historic building for purposes not originally intended.

“Perhaps nowhere do you have better opportunities or potential (for adaptive use of buildings) than here in Danville. You already have condominiums in tobacco warehouses, museums in train stations and restaurants in formerly residential buildings,” Malon said. “It’s up to you to be the agents of change in mentality so that you can be agents of preservation in your community.”

Robert Nieweg, of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, stressed how historic preservation can have an economic impact on communities, and its downtown key to business recruitment and business retention.

“Downtown is the historic center of the community and it is vital to the economic well-being of the community,” Nieweg said.

Nieweg highly recommended that any preservationist read “The Economics of Historical Preservation,” by Donovan Rypkema. He said the book gives facts and figures on how restoration helps in all areas of a community - pointing out, for instance, that one abandoned, rundown home can bring the values of its neighboring homes down by as much as 30 percent.

Nieweg said preservationists must cultivate allies and learn know how to talk about and understand the bottom line to be successful.

Kathleen Kilpatrick, director of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, had four practical suggestions for preservationists:

• Build a sustainable organization
• Be positive
• Keep your eye on the prize
• Become a resource for the city

She also said historical preservation had spiritual benefits to communities as well.

“It is the history in our communities, right next door, around the corner, that serves us as communities and serves us, in a very real way, spiritually, because it reminds us in a daily way that we are part of something larger,” Kilpatrick said. “It gives us a sense of orientation, a sense of pride, a sense of responsibility. Those are the things that make up citizenship … no community can exist without it.”

Anne Moore, community development coordinator for Danville’s Department of Community Development, showed a short movie that showed how much the city has done over the past four years, spending $54 million in restoring and renovating downtown, the tobacco district and other areas of Danville.

Burton Condominiums developer Jerry Peters talked about how developers can cash in on history by using existing structures and remodeling them for other uses.

The summit then broke up into smaller seminars, followed by task force workgroup sessions.

For more information on participating in projects the Danville Preservation League is working on, visit www.preservedanville.com.

Historical Society honors restoration work

By KYLE TAYLOR

Register & Bee staff writer

August 21, 2007

As it continues to promote preservation, the Danville Historical Society has recognized people who have helped restore property throughout the city.

The society presented awards at its annual meeting, which took place Monday night at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History.

Local residents were presented plaques for their dedication to restoring houses along Green Street and Main Street. They also were honored for raising consciousness about historic preservation and for their continued commitment to community renaissance. Award recipients included Carla Minosh, Dan and Sarah Latham, Eleanor and Hilton Douglas, and Laura and Fred Meder.

Awards were not only presented to people. Two projects were recognized by the Historical Society - the enhancements to the Crossing at the Dan and the Perkinson Rose Garden at the museum.

The Danville Science Center and the Danville Department of Community Development were presented plaques for the Crossing at the Dan improvements. James W. Perkinson, the Garden Club of Danville and the museum were honored for the Perkinson Rose Garden.

The Historical Society does not give out awards regularly - the last time the group handed out awards was in 2005.

Fred Meder said he and his wife’s love for old houses led to them buying and reconstructing a lot of the historical property in the city.

“Whatever city or country we go to, we like to see old houses,” Meder said. “It’s a lot of heritage here and a lot of beautiful homes.”

The Meders have restored four houses and planted 31 trees along Green Street.

A brief election also was held before the awards ceremony. The Historical Society welcomed in new officers, including Rose Shields who will succeed Bill Trakas as president.

Trakas said the Historical Society plans to continue working on protecting the Long Mill buildings from demolition.

Lasting Thoughts

It’s All About Presentation...England, Scotland, Danville

Evince
by Joyce Wilburn

Would you travel 3,939 miles to see the outside of a house, watch workers at shift change, ride a boat down a river or eat the heads, fins and guts of a plate full of fish? No? Let me rephrase.

Would you travel 3,939 miles to see Buckingham Palace, watch the Changing of the Guard, cruise the Thames River and eat an appetizer that is loved by many Englishmen? Yes!

These questions were asked of me by a fellow tourist while we waited with several hundred others to see the Changing of the Guard near Buckingham Palace on the very pleasant first day of summer in London, England.  We laughed about how ridiculous it sounds when events and places are stripped of promotional dress and viewed as what they are. As our conversation continued, my thoughts flew back to Danville and the message that this stranger had for our local decision-makers.  Its all about presentation she said and how any given city can create what potential money-bearing tourists want to see and buy.

I and thousands of others are living proof that considerable time, money, and energy is spent order to see and learn how others currently live and work and how they survived in times past.  This idea popped into mind as I traveled by train to visit a tartan weaving mill in Edinburgh, Scotland.  On seeing the medium-sized, multilevel building, my first impression was how much it looked like a miniature Dan River Mills!

Despite the cold, rainy, windy weather, tourists queued up at the Geoffrey Tailor Tartan Weaving Mill to choose different colors of yarn to be woven into a custom-made Kilt starting at $800 each.  But that s not all.  Yarn products and souvenirs available for sale lined the perimeter of the building on three floors and the center of each floor was open for visitors to view the material-making process from above or on ground level. It was an educational opportunity in addition to being a shopping Mecca.

Fortunately, my husband decided against ordering a kilt and we saved our money for the hundreds of little shops and restaurants that line the Royal Mile between the mill next to Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Strolling along, I couldn’t help but think how Danville has everything I had traveled thousands of miles to see.  It just needs the help of influential decision-makers to develop and promote it.
We have small castles along Main Street, in Forest Gills, and in Dan’s Hill.  We have the equivalent of a royal mile (or a few blocks, at least) on Millionaires’ Row, a rich tobacco and textile history worthy of a museum and working exhibition, a scenic river, and distinctly Danville dishes.  (How about Danville’s Midtown Chicken Salad as a signature dish?)

The last place I rushed to see and capture on my camera before hopping onto the final bus back to the hotel was the former home of Lady Nancy Langhorne Astor in London’s St. James Square.  The house, included in Fodor’s London’s 25 Best book because she was the first woman to serve in the British House of Commons, is a frequent destination for tourists. Danville has that too!  The white two-story house at 117 Broad Street is Lady Astor’s birthplace and is marked with an historical sign, which reminds visitors that the Gibson Girl, the personification of the 1900s American feminine ideal, lived here also.

We have it all in Danville. Now it’s time to look beyond what has always been and to see the potential for what we might become.  The winds of change are blowing and producing a powerful energy that will create a very different city.  The direction that change will take is still being decided.  Therefore, it’s essential that during this period of transition we all take a fresh look at the natural and historical resources we have.  Don’t look with your eyes.  Look with your imagination.  Talk to your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, your family, and anyone who will listen.  And then call, write, or email the people who are making the decisions about our city’s future.  Tell them your vision for the city.

England has its fictional Mary Poppins who brought drastic changes into a stuffy turn-of-the-century household.  Now Danville needs someone like her to bring a breath of fresh air into our 21st century hometown.  Let’s all collectively accept the challenge.

What will the future hold?

Danville Register & Bee
To the editor:

I also do not believe Dan River’s 125th anniversary was any reason for Danville to celebrate. I have my doubts that Danville will be a part of Dan River’s future.

But I understand that Dan River Inc. and its employees would celebrate the anniversary. In honor of that outstanding accomplishment, perhaps Dan River will repair its sign proclaiming Danville as the “Home of Dan River Fabrics.”

I’m happy for the employees who remain here, and even more so for others who have been invited back because their overseas replacements were unable to perform their duties with the same expertise and efficiency. It is indeed true that Dan River operates three distribution centers here. I only wish they were staffed by Dan River employees instead of outsourced by an out-of-state company.

Provided Dan River can “make ends meet” - and the recent letter writers are correct - Dan River’s future will be in Danville. Perhaps the new owners would also like to invest in Danville’s future and restore the White Mill. Renting it out as office and restaurant space might be a better moneymaker than selling it.

That won’t make up for losing the Schoolfield Recreation Center. That was a devastating loss. Please know, however, that some citizens did “open wallets and roll up their sleeves to save a building,” which would have been used by the community, benefiting many and preserving a special part of our history as well.

But since our own vice mayor actually praises CVS for “continuing that tradition” of the recreation center, and CVS seems to think a corner plaque “preserves history,” it’s hard to imagine what the future holds for Danville’s historical heritage.

DONNA SCHWEIGER
Danville

Danville Preservation Summit - Sept. 8

APVA-Preservation Virginia has placed the Entire City of Danville on their annual 11 Most Endangered Historic Sites in Virginia List. Though inclusion on that List will bring much-needed attention to efforts intended to preserve Virginia’s historic landmarks, APVA feels that, in Danville’s case, more than publicity is needed to preserve the essential character of the City.  To that end, APVA will convene a Preservation Summit, joined in that effort by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, with support from the Preservation League and many other local organizations.

The Preservation Summit will be held on Saturday, September 8, 2007.  For additional information and registration, please visit the Danville Preservation League's Home Web Site.

Downtown trolley service set to begin

By DENICE THIBODEAU

Register & Bee staff writer

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Downtown Danville has been through a massive redevelopment effort over the past four years, and now it’s ready to show off the results with free Saturday trolley tours.

The trolley tours will begin Aug. 18 and run every Saturday, from 9 a.m. until 1:45 p.m., through Oct. 6. Geared toward attracting shoppers to the downtown area, the rides originate at the Community Market on Craghead Street and will stop at five locations in the downtown area.

Once the trolley leaves the Community Market, its first stop will be at Craghead and Patton streets, right next to the newly opened Lou’s Antique Mall. The trolley will then travel up Main Street, stopping at Floyd Street across from Rippe’s Shoes before heading to its next stop at Ridge and Patton streets, in front of Dixie Bags & More.

The trolley also will stop at the Museum of Fine Arts & History before turning around at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church and retracing its route back to the Community Market.

Rides will leave the Community Market every half hour with the final trip at 1:30 p.m.

“We hope this will further promote all these downtown revitalization efforts that are going on presently, and are just real pleased we’ve been asked to provide this service,” said Marc Adelman, the city’s transportation services director.

Reviving downtown
The goal is to attract more shoppers to downtown.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for people to come downtown, shop and see that downtown is thriving,” said Anne Moore, redevelopment coordinator for the Community Development Department.

Moore and Liz Sater, redevelopment project assistant, have been working for four years to rejuvenate the downtown area.

“Over the last four years, we’ve improved 48 storefronts. Now we’re more concentrating on filling those storefronts with quality tenants,” Moore said. “Now we’re at a point where we have two new anchors (Dixie Bags & More and Lou’s Antique Mall) and some quality businesses downtown. We can bring shoppers in for these tours that would not have been possible without the merchants stepping up to the plate and the Downtown Danville Association stepping up to the plate. All the players are coming together and it’s just real exciting.”

Moore and Sater both said the trolley route will solve many problems for downtown visitors.

“When you drive through Main Street, you have to watch traffic, traffic signals and pedestrians, so you don’t get a chance to look (at the businesses),” Sater said.

Adding ‘charm’
The merchants also are looking forward to the trolley tours.
“I think the trolley is a really good idea,” said Michelle Bender, co-owner of Dixie Bags & More. “It’ll add charm to downtown shopping. Shopping should be more than just shopping, it should be a fun time, and the trolley will be a part of that fun time.”

Her husband and co-owner, Gary Bender, agrees.

“The city’s already bought it (the trolley) and they need to use it. This is the way to use it, to incorporate some stops along the way of interesting places and to get people to realize what a little gem we have,” he said. “We have a wonderful museum, and some wonderful stores and places to eat.”

Lou Ogden, co-owner of Lou’s Antique Mall, said she is excited to see the trolley service beginning.

“What an exciting feature to bring to the city,” she said. “Oh, yes, we want it! It’s so wonderful to see the area growing!”  Steve Driskill, co-owner of River City General Store, said he hopes the idea keeps growing.

“I hope two months (of the trial service) grows into six months, then a year,” Driskill said. “I think you’ll find ridership very positive.”

‘An easy sale’
The city purchased two trolleys in 2005, and they have been used for the Reserve-a-Ride program and as spare route buses when needed.

The price tag for the trolleys was $220,000, but federal funds covered approximately 80 percent of the cost, leaving the city and state each picking up approximately 10 percent of the cost.

Downtown merchants and the Downtown Danville Association are picking up 50 percent of the operating cost for the eight-week experimental shopping tours. At the end of the trial, decisions will be made about continuing and expanding the service.

“We think it will be an easy sale, because it answers two big questions for the merchants,” Sater said. “When customers say, ‘Where do I park?’ now they can easily park here (at the Community Market) where there’s ample parking. And they don’t have to walk up the Main Street hill … and don’t have to parallel park on the hill. It’s going to be a great solution for a lot of downtown shoppers.”

Remarks to City Council -- August 7, 2007

Mr. Mayor, Mr. Vice Mayor, members of City Council, thank you for your time.  My name is Carla Minosh.  It is as a concerned citizen that I have asked that my statement be read for the record today.

On June 5th, 2007, City Manager Jerry Gwaltney addressed the City Council and the public on the matter of the Long Mill.  At that time he made a number of statements that I would like to address.

Statement No. 1

In regard to a June 29, 2006, letter of agreement between River Partnership, LLC – owners of the Long Mill – and David Eagle, then Fire Marshall, representative for the City: the agreement stated that the owners of the Long Mill had contracted with Mark Evans of Sotheby's International Realty to list the Long Mill property for sale for a period of nine months.  According to the agreement, if Mr. Evans was not successful in identifying a buyer within five months (no later than November 30, 2006), the owners stated that they would immediately accept bids from contractors to begin demolition no later than March 15, 2007.

At the June 5th Council meeting, Mr. Gwaltney stated that he met with Long Mill owners and a representative of Sotheby's, saying that the City "will take the attempt to give you [referring to the Long Mill owners] an opportunity to sell that property." He further stated of the Sotheby's listing that the owners "paid an exorbitant cost to do that."

I have several concerns about this statement.  First of all, an agreement between the City and owners of a private property whereby the owners will demolish their own buildings in lieu of a sale sounds like the City is getting involved in a private matter.  Hasn't the City and the City Council repeatedly said that it cannot get involved in matters of private property? At this point, the City Council can no longer ignore the City Administration's involvement in the Long Mill and therefore should, itself, become involved.

The second problem with Mr. Gwaltney's statement is not only that Mr. Gwaltney was wrong in his contention that the owners listed the property with Sotheby's International at great expense, but also that he disseminated this incorrect information at a City Council meeting and asked City Council and the public to rely on this information.

I spoke with Jay Lanigan of Sotheby's International who reported that after extensive searches and involvement with Sotheby's International IT department for confirmation, there is no record of any property in Danville having been listed with them during that time period.

As confirmation, I also spoke with Mark Evans, the individual mentioned in the June 29, 2006 letter as being the agent for Sotheby's International who purportedly listed the Long Mill property.  He told me that the Long Mill listing was put on hold, and was in fact never listed with his company.

If the Long Mill property was never listed for sale, the City should hold the owners to the original agreement to list the property and find a responsible buyer who will develop it in accordance with the protective covenants in the Deed.  The City Council and the people of this city need an answer to why this property was not listed as agreed, and the City Council needs to ensure than everything that can be done has been done to preserve this property before continuing on this course of demolition.

Statement No. 2

On June 5th, Mr. Gwaltney also stated that warrants had been issued for the arrest of the owners of the Long Mill.  He said "Let me tell you, that for many, many months, since last summer, the Fire Chief has had warrants for their arrest." "And I have held those up personally."

In fact, I made a FOIA request for a copy of those warrants.  The response I received from City Attorney Clarke Whitfield states "arrest warrants do not exist.  Arrest warrants do not exist because the Magistrate issues that documentation and to this date, the Magistrate has not issued any warrants."

Statement No. 3

Mr. Gwaltney also spoke about the liability of City Administration and City Council at the June 5th Council meeting.  He stated, "If something happens tonight, not only am I going to get sued, but you all probably are too [gesturing toward City Council members].  But I'm not going to carry that burden any longer."

He continued later: "And I'm not going to jail for anybody. No-one.  Nobody out there has to take that burden right now but me."

And again, he re-stated: "I want to emphasize again, I have carried this burden.  It is my job to carry that burden, if I make these types of decisions.  If something happens there today, if I don't support my people and do what they're supposed to do, I can be charged, and imprisoned for it if something happens."

A September 21, 1990, Virginia Attorney General opinion speaks directly to the issue of public official liability in cases such as this, and directly contradicts these claims by Mr. Gwaltney.  Perhaps he didn't know that he was not liable.  However, shortly after that Council meeting, a copy of the AG's opinion was forwarded to the City Attorney.  Mr. Gwaltney has not retracted those statements in public.

Each of these statements was made publicly by Mr. Gwaltney.  Each is incorrect and Mr. Gwaltney has made no effort to publicly correct these statements.  Therefore, I feel compelled to bring this matter up publicly. It is possible that Mr. Gwaltney was intentionally misleading the public and the City Council.  If the City Manager is deliberately misleading the Council and the public, he should be fired immediately.  Such behavior is totally unprofessional and unacceptable and it is imperative that City Council investigate this matter.

On the other hand, perhaps Mr. Gwaltney truly believes what he stated on June 5th.  If that is the case, then the City Manager as well as the City Council have based their decisions regarding the Long Mill on false information.

Given the importance of the decisions regarding the Long Mill, City Council should now go back and re-evaluate its own actions, as well as the actions taken to date by City Administration in light of this new evidence.  City Council must ensure that decisions which have been made about the Long Mill are being made with the most accurate information available, and in the interests of the people of Danville.

There is yet another statement made by City Manager Gwaltney on June 5th that I would like to mention.  He stated: "I have been told by the Fire Chief that we do not intend to send a fireman, and cannot conscientiously send a fireman into that building (referring to the Long Mill) if it catches on fire of significant burning, now that they know what they know."

Not only is this a most irresponsible statement to be made by a public official, but also it is outrageous.  How can the City Manager and Fire Chief – each sworn to protect the health and welfare of citizens of this City and to protect its structures and assets – say that they will not bother to use the fire department's maximum efforts to put out a fire, should it break out in that complex? How can the people of this City feel safe that any of their property will be protected with such public statements being made.  City Council needs to call for an immediate retraction and apology, as well as assurances from the Fire Chief as well as the City Manager that the Long Mill property will be protected.

This is especially critical, as it has recently become known that the contractor working on the demolition of the Long Mill, Martijn Van Zadelhoff, was also demolishing a Mill in March of 2005, which erupted into a fire that was so suspicious that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was called in to investigate.

Mr. Mayor, Mr. Vice Mayor, members of City Council, again, I thank you for your time.

Variance Proposed for 503 Holbrook Avenue

Commercial Office zoning has been requested for the home at the corner of Holbrook Avenue and Green Street, just behind the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History.  Both Holbrook Avenue and Green Street are presently residential in character. 

This property at 503 Holbrook is within the Old West End Historic District.  This district is seeing many conversions from commercial use back to residential, and nearly all district residents want this trend to continue.

This request for variance has been reviewed by the City's Planning Board, which has recommended against this change.  The request now goes to City Council, and will likely appear on the August 7, 2007, agenda.

The Danville Preservation League asks interested parties to express their opposition.  Citizens can appear at the Council meeting and / or write directly to Council members.  For a list of members and their e-mail addresses, please see Elected Officials.  When it is released, the Council's agenda will appear on the City web site at Regular Agendas.