Proposal: Preserve historic homes, get tax credit

 

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

By ROB HART

ADVANCE ALBANY BUREAU

With the dilapidated Bedell House serving as a backdrop, City Councilman Andrew Lanza joined Rep. Vito Fossella yesterday in pledging support for a plan to offer tax credits to those who preserve historic homes.

Fossella (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) said legislation passed in the House to provide a tax credit to sway builders and homeowners from knocking down old homes, but it would require cooperation from the state, where it has yet to gain traction.

Lanza (R-South Shore) is facing off against Democrat Matthew Titone, son of the late Judge Vito Titone, for the seat of retiring state Sen. John Marchi (R-Staten Island).

The plan, they said, would help preserve the character of communities across the state, especially on Staten Island, which Lanza noted is known for its "suburban character and quaint roots."

"We can do more and we can provide the right incentives to ensure what's right for Staten Island," said Lanza, who pledged to introduce Albany legislation for the proposal if he is elected.

The home on Amboy Road in Tottenville where they discussed the plan is boarded up and still bears slight hints of spray paint under the white exterior.

Builder John Grossi bought the house with plans to demolish it, but then vandalized it when he learned the city Landmarks Preservation Commission was considering preserving the structure. The house was landmarked, and Grossi covered up the graffiti.

He and the city subsequently agreed on a development plan that spares the house, and Grossi apologized to the community in a letter printed in the Advance in June.

 

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