The future of the Baxter House uncertain

Stephen Romano

The owner of the historic Baxter House, who withdrew her application to demolish and rebuild the home one day after a fire ripped through the building, has not yet decided the future of the partly destroyed structure, according to Village of Baxter Estates Trustee Chris Ficalora.

The village’s Landmarks Preservation Commission was set to review the application on Wednesday, but will now only listen to public comment, Ficalora said.

Sabrina Wu, the home’s owner, told the village days before the Feb. 1 fire that she would withdraw the application and instead renovate the home.

Ficalora said he spoke with Wu’s attorney, A. Thomas Levin, last Wednesday and said Wu is unsure of the home’s future after the fire that heavily damaged the antiquated house.

Wu allowed village trustees, the village building inspector and an independent engineer hired by the village to inspect the home last Wednesday, along with her architect.

The engineer has not yet submitted his report, Ficalora said, “but the main section of the house is completely burnt through.”

Ficalora said there have been discussions about saving walls on the exterior of the far south side of the home.

The home, at 15 Shore Road, was built in the 1700s and once stood on the Baxter Homestead, which dates back to 1673.

Controversy surrounded the home months before the fire when residents and village officials said they were upset with how Wu maintained the property, the only landmarked one in the village.

The village issued Wu three Order to Remedy violations — the most recent to clean up the lawn and a blue tarp, which covered the windows, from her lawn and neighboring properties.

There are currently bags of garbage on the lawn, and Ficalora said he asked Levin to ask Wu about removing them.

“He said ‘there’s no OTR saying we have to remove the garbage,’” Ficalora said.

Ficalora said Wu will probably be issued a violation for the bags of garbage on Monday.

Wu purchased the house in 2003 for $990,000.

In a letter to the editor sent to the Port Washington Times, Ficalora said, “I have to say how disheartening it is to read the local papers, view the news, and hear the comments at the Village of Baxter Estates (VBE) meetings regarding the Baxter House.”

He said there had been “a high degree of false, misleading and incorrect information” about the village’s actions and responsibilities,” pointing to what he called the Save the Baxter House Coalition and its leader.  He did not identify the leader but said in an interview that he was referring to Michael Scotto, a resident who has been outspoken about the preservation of the home.

Ficalora said the group had engaged in a smear campaign against the mayor and trustees and included a list of facts surrounding the home, addressing what he called misconceptions.

For example, on the idea that the village should purchase the home, he said that village residents were surveyed when the house was up for sale and a significant majority rejected buying it.

He also pointed out that the village has no jurisdiction over the house’s interior. Only the home’s exterior was landmarked in 2005.

Ficalora accused Scotto, although not by name, of having an “ulterior motive,” saying he wants to dissolve the village.

Scotto, who created the Facebook group “Save the Baxter House,” which now has over 850 members, has organized meetings and sent out emails, informing residents about the state of the house and process.

“There does seem to be a ringleader who likes to “grand stand” and see himself in the press,” Ficalora said in the letter. “Who can tell what his true agenda is, public office for the county perhaps? I guess time will tell. Not sure I would vote for someone who has taken such a negative and misleading approach to a community issue such as the Baxter House in an effort to dissolve our village and promote himself for a future endeavor.”

Scotto said, “A government that picks and chooses what laws to enforce is no government at all.”

“I’d much prefer the village enforce its laws, but if it cannot perhaps it should be dissolved,” Scotto said.

Scotto and his group argue that the village failed to enforce its Landmarks Preservation Law, allowing the house to deteriorate.

Scotto said “Save the Baxter House” has no leader, and that it’s “a group of concerned  residents of the village and the Port Washington area.”

“I’m sorry that Trustee Ficalora has decided the village is best served by resort to personal attacks and questioning neighbors’ motives,” Scotto said.

The village sent a survey to residents on Monday, asking if they would support the village purchasing the Baxter House with a five-year bond if residents’ taxes included an additional total of $6,270 spread over five years, and then $740 per year for fixing and maintaining the home.

On the group’s Facebook page, residents criticized the survey, with one resident calling it “propaganda.”

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