Saturday, July 10, 2010

New Davenport Library Branch Opens Today!

Don't forget about the Eastern Avenue branch library grand opening today.

Here's a link to the schedule of events.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey chump change. Remember when your neverall friends at the Davenport City design office and Wisor tried to steal the Mound Street park land. Hey chump change.
Payback time.

Anonymous said...

Payback time? That is so scary. Try getting a council that does what you want.

QuadCityImages said...

Just because Wisor is an idiot doesn't mean city staff was assisting his evil plots. They weren't. Good to know you're still around though Keith.

Anonymous said...

I also don't think the city is helping him. I' d say they are with qci. Let him build a new house.

Anonymous said...

Winsor is immature and painting his own house is a bad move to push his plans forward...
But in a way it's hilarious and brillant. "Save the Whales"
lol

Anonymous said...

It is his house. He should be allowed to build a new one. Why don't those who want to save the old houses go buy them up and save them with your own money.

Anonymous said...

Since when did it become evil to do what you want with your own things. Ill never understand busy bodies getting involve in other peoples lives.

QuadCityImages said...

So you'd be fine with your neighbors tearing down their house to build a toxic waste storage yard?

Also, Wisor's plans don't only involve his own property. It was his idea to pave over part of Lindsay Park for additional bar parking, after all.

Anonymous said...

Where is it that he is putting in a toxic waste site? Let's see where you get information. From what I heard, he is going to build a new house. Just the style is different. And as for style, look at NW corner of 11th & Mound, the wine store, Quickshop, the round house behind the Quickshop, surplus store, and the buildings north of the block in question. I don't think they all fit the same style.

Stop going to extremes. I could do the same and say that you want to be the supreme ruler and have everyone ask for permission for everything they do(that should be fun if that person falls on your enemies list like Keith and I). You're spending too much time with Crusier's fan club. Next you'll call me gay and that I work at PerMar.

QuadCityImages said...

The reason I use an extreme example is to show that everyone's claim "its his property, he can do whatever he wants with it" is false. All but the most hardcore libertarians want some regulation on what people can do with their property. So all we're really arguing here is where the line is drawn.

Part of living within a municipality is agreeing to abide by their rules. Wisor knew that this house was in a historic district when he bought it. The reason it IS a historic district is because it is made up of historic homes and buildings. You can't just start replacing them with modern structures and expect it to continue being a unique destination. Galena doesn't allow it, and neither can the Village.

Anonymous said...

Winsor's point of view


1125 Jersey House Review

A historical map of Davenport produced by the HPC does not show the house in a historical neighborhood. It shows it outside the border of a historical neighborhood.
The house was not on any historical register at the time of purchase.
John Wisor did not request it be put on any such register.
The HPC took it upon themselves, after a demo request was filed, to nominate the house for historical status. The HPC basically took control of the property without any financial consideration. The HPC did not consider any financial restoration costs nor did they inspect the property.
The historical aspects of the house are disputable as is its architectural significance to the area.
The property was purchased with the intention of tearing it down and building new.
The condition of the property at the time of purchase was uninhabitable with burst water pipes, rotted-out soffits, siding, and a leaking roof.
The previous owners accepted an offer that was $40K less than they paid just three year prior. The offer was to purchase "as is" because of the neglected, deteriorated condition of the house.
John Wisor stated at the time of the first demo refusal that it was cost prohibitive to put any money into the house and he was not interested in restoring the house or converting it to rental property.
John Wisor put the house up for sale after the first demo request was denied but never received any offers to purchase. An offer to purchase is a signed contract AND earnest money (very important) - not a verbal request to purchase.
The city Community Service Division ordered expensive repairs in order to maintain its "rental" status in April 2010.
There was a construction accident on June 3, 2010 which damaged the foundation. There is no criminal investigation related to this incident and John Wisor nor his contractors have ever been contacted or interviewed by the police regarding this issue.
A licensed structural engineer produced a report on June 4, 2010 stating that the house is structurally unsound, unsafe, and should be taken down.
The new house was designed with the cooperation of city staff and meets all city design criteria created for the Village of East Davenport.
The spray painting of the house is meant to show how out-of-control the situation is and to trivialize a few neighbors attempts to sway public opinion. The costs of restoring the house are not feasible or practical.


Realistic Solutions for the HPC:

Target worthwhile properties. Start by selecting a hand-full of significant properties which can be managed and hold fund raisers to raise money to maintain the properties. Saving properties requires real hard work. The old Fire House in the Village could be a good place to start and could be turned into a community meeting place for historic preservationists.
Do not label properties "historic" without the consent on the owner. Keep an open mind when evaluating properties for the historic value of the property. Cooperation is required from the owner since the building materials required to repair the building will not suddenly drop from the sky and attach itself to a building. The Palmer historic house sat vacant for 13 years without any repair or materials dropping from the sky.

QuadCityImages said...

I don't know if this is actually from Wisor, as people don't usually spell their own name incorrectly. However, I'm looking into it. In the mean time, 11:28PM poster, I'm curious exactly what the Bobcat was working on when the "accident" occurred?

Anonymous said...

Conservative Demo here:
Generally I take a dim view of development and lean toward the preserving-and-refurbishing of the status quo, so it ought to be pretty easy for me to side here with the neighbors.

I don't tho and have been leaning, in this case only, toward the side of the dirtball guy Wisor. The 11:28PM posting solidified my support (hah, as if what the hell does it matter which side I may support?) for the owner and not the neighbors.

Albeit I'm a fairly hard Democrat, there is enough Libertarian in me to be upset at the man's property being arbitrarily classified the way it was.

_IF TRUE_ that it was not classified when he bought it, and was so classified later with no consultation with or input from the owner, then that is just wrong.

I do not dispute that The Village is unique and must be kept intact, and I did get pretty upset with this dirtball over the parking lot matter, but this time, _OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE BORDER_ he is in the right.

Yes, the first structure immediately next to a historic structure does affect the context of a historic structure, BUT, the line has to be drawn at some place or else the Village could be conceivably trying to control appearances all the way up to the Locust St overpass.

Screw em!

The City needs to stand up FOR this dirtball this time.

QuadCityImages said...

So that way every nut that gets denied a demolition permit will just "accidentally" ram a bulldozer into the basement and conveniently provide an engineer report the next day saying it needs to be demolished? I don't think so. Even if Wisor was in the right at the beginning, which I don't think he ever was, his methods should have him in jail, not winning.

Anonymous said...

Zonig and building codes apply to everyone. This does not. He has to follow a different set of rules than QCI does. I didn't get your permission to put up a modern front door.

Why don't those of us that want to save the old buildings put our money together and buy them up? Then we can fix them up the way we want and save them. But that won't happen.

QuadCityImages said...

Its happened in the Gold Coast, why can't it happen in the Village?

Craig Malin says that a response to some of the allegations in the 11:28 post will be coming in the next few days.

Anonymous said...

I just hope that the city cleans up the mess that Wisor has created and sends him a bill for the work. There is no way that the neighbors should have to live with what he has done to that house.

Anonymous said...

Conservative Demo here:
1127AM sez: "I just hope that the city cleans up the mess that Wisor has created and sends him a bill for the work. There is no way that the neighbors should have to live with what he has done to that house."

Whoa there man, we do have a Constitution and laws, remember?

As for the neighbors, they have the right under our system to seek relief thru the courts and to be compensated in small-claims if they are able to prevail.

QuadCityImages said...

I do find it interesting that city can come out and mow someone's grass, and bill them for it, but seemingly can't do anything about the current situation. Which has a bigger impact on surrounding property values, tall grass, or the ultimate graffiti house?

Anonymous said...

How about a sheet hanging off the front of the houes? I guess they don't have to follow the same rules.

Have the city take over the Village and Gold Coast. Save them for the greater good. The Supreme Court will back the city.

QuadCityImages said...

I think a sheet or any other temporary political sign is a LOT different from spray paint on a structure. Most logical people would agree.

Anonymous said...

I don't get why Wisor's new house has to be on THAT spot. There are a number of vacant lots and other old houses not on the historic register that he could probably do a land swap for and both sides get what they want.

Davenport needs development, but not from people like this.