Plainfield Mayor Breaks Tie Vote, OKs Demolition for Route 59 House

Now that the Route 59 “Vision for Division” study is finished, Thomas Carey hoped to have his answer on Monday night.

He got it when Mayor Mike Collins broke the village board’s tie, voting to allow his family to tear down their aging home at 14927 S. Division St. (Route 59).

Carey said his mother, now age 91 and in poor health, has long been trying to sell the property. The family hopes that by demolishing the structurally unsound home, they’ll have better luck attracting a buyer.

“This has been a burden for her for a long time,” Carey said, summing up his reaction to Collins’ decision in one word: “Relieved.”

Opinion was split on the board of trustees, with Margie Bonuchi, Garrett Peck and Bill Lamb voting against demolition and Jim Racich, Dan Rippy and Paul Fay voting yes.

The family’s request for a demolition permit hit a roadblock this winter, when the board told Carey they wanted to hold off on making a decision until the Vision for Division study was complete.

The project, which had its final unveiling at last week’s Committee of the Whole meeting, was aimed at getting residents' feedback on the future development of Route 59 from Union to Main Street.

• Plainfield Trustees: The Wrecking Ball Can Wait for Route 59 House
• ‘Attempting Perfection:’ Plainfield Gets First Look Rt. 59 Plan

Bonuchi said she feared that approving demolition of the house, part of a corridor identified in the plan as a business transition district (BTD), would pave the way for similar proposals.

“There’s several more [homes] with a for-sale sign right now,” she said. “I don’t think an empty lot is going to benefit us, and I have to look at the whole group.”

Lamb agreed. “The area is envisioned as BTD” in the Vision for Division study, he said. “We need to keep that in mind.”

Rippy spoke up in support of the Carey family’s proposal.

“Demolition isn’t necessarily consistent or inconsistent with the business transition district,” he said. “I do not see any use for that [house] as a commercial building.”

Collins noted that the Vision for Division proposal calls for an alleyway with parking behind the buildings at the site of the Carey home.

“It’s along with the plans of getting ready for this vision,” he said.

The mayor also noted that the Carey family had waited a long time, unable to sell the home as village officials struggled with the future of the Route 59 corridor.

He invoked the words of one of Plainfield’s past mayors, the late Dick Rock, as he cast his vote in favor of the demolition.

“Mayor Rock, bless his heart, made a comment, ‘There’s a lot of difference between historic and old,’” Collins said.

Carey, who grew up in the home, said he doesn’t look forward to seeing it fall.

“I personally don’t want to see this house torn down,” he said. “ … But what can we do? I understand that there’s a need for preservation, but this house is extremely decrepit.”

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