Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Where's the "emergency"?
Nearly two months have passed since a windstorm damaged the Great Northern Grain Elevator, and as preservationists await a judge's decision on the elevator's future, they're wondering why the city rushed an emergency demolition permit to owner ADM.
Tim Tielman of the Campaign for Greater Buffalo is pushing to keep the elevator standing. "What is clear to us, I think, and clear to the general community is that the conditions which were purported to exist, which caused the declaration of emergency clearly do not exist."
"There was this notion, and that was what Commissioner Jim Comerford's emergency order was about was that there was imminent danger of collapse of the Great Northern grain elevator, which would endanger the public. And I think, now with the passage of almost 60 days, it's clear that an emergency situation never existed in and that's the, the real substance of our court case, is that the emergency declaration was rushed."
Back in December, Comerford described the damage to WBEN. "They put a fence around it, there's some corrugated steel hanging from there...there's some issues, I'm concerned about a wall continuing to fall down, there are some safety issues," said Comerford at the time. "They actually tried to get that they actually came in last year, I believe before preservation, they wanted to demolish it. And at the time the preservation denied it. So now with these conditions, and potential safety hazards...we're gonna have to reassess and determine the nature of the damage and go from there."
Since then, Tielman notes the elevator has not sustained further damage. "We've gone through now since December 11, perhaps three major snowstorms, other events of high winds, and there's not been any evidence that a single brick is falling from the building. So we know the frame of the Great Northern, the structural framework is very solid, and we published drawings to that effect," says Tielman. "In terms of bricks falling, there aren't any bricks falling, there aren't any walls falling. And certainly, if you want to protect the public, by the way, there's simply nothing preventing either the city of Buffalo or ADM, from erecting, say, jersey barriers topped with a cyclone fence to protect the public. Based on the weather, based on the condition of the building, and based on the behavior of both the city of Buffalo and ADM, that they must not feel an urgency to get out there and even spend the minimum amount of money putting up jersey barriers."
Tielman has a temporary restraining order against demolition as Judge Tracey Bannister goes over evidence. Tielman says he does not know when Bannister will reach a decision. "The court is free to take as long as they feel they need in coming up to a determination. So you know, but one thing I can say with certitude no matter how long it takes that grain elevator is going to continue to stand," notes Tielman.
Judge Emilio Colaiacovo previously allowed the emergency demolition order before Bannister issued the temporary restraining order.
