STAMFORD — The Planning Board on Tuesday night approved a Memorandum of Agreement between the city and the Stamford Historical Society relating to the purchase, disassembly and reassembly of the Hoyt Barnum House.
The 3-2 vote was made after more than an hour of discussion about the city’s decision to bypass the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission in their approval process. Michael Handler, the city’s director of administration, said the commission’s input on the MOA was not sought because the city is on a tight timeline to replace the existing police department building, where asbestos has been discovered.
City officials hope to move the Hoyt Barnum House to the Historical Society’s parcel on High Ridge Road, in order to use the land it sits on to build a new police station.
Handler also received numerous questions about the city’s decision to issue a demolition permit and a request for proposals for an architect before the agreement was approved. In the end, though, the board was persuaded by his argument that the city has had to take the steps out of order in order to ensure police officers are moved out of the existing police department as soon as possible.
Handler said the city has set a date of June 2018 for police to move into the new building.
The MOA will now go before the Board of Finance, before making its way to the Board of Representatives.
