Excerpts
from the Buffalo News Article
Residents at
Hearing Strongly Oppose Plan to Raze House Next to Pano's
By Anthony Cardinale
New Staff Reporter
October 22, 2004
Elmwood residents who love to eat at Pano's restaurant were almost unanimous Thursday evening in opposition to the owner's plans to tear down a building next door for restaurant patio expansion.
About 120 residents attended a hearing of the Buffalo Preservation Board in the Common Council chambers.Restaurant owner Pano Georgiadis also owns the Atwater House, a 21/2-story Queen Anne shingle storefront and dwelling built in 1894 at 1089 Elmwood.
Dennis Galucki, executive director of the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier, offered Georgiadis the society's assistance in examining options to demolition of the building. He said it is eligible for listing on the state and federal registers of historic places.
"You can't landmark a property without the consent of the owner," responded William H. Gardner, an attorney ...
Resident Judith Einach disagreed. "There are people who believe that ownership implies the owner can act on his property in whatever way suits his interest," she said. "They fail to see that our property never completely belongs to us and that our decisions must take more than our immediate interests into account."A. Scott Field, executive director of the Preservation Coalition, said 3,700 people have signed on-line petitions against the plan.
"We all enjoy eating at Pano's and wish him continuing success," Field said, "but that success should not come at the expense of one of the factors that helps to make the whole neighborhood a success."
Jeffrey Lebsack of the American Planning Association and Peter Murad of the American Institute of Architects also spoke against demolition. So did Tim Tielman, executive director of the Campaign for Greater Buffalo History, Architecture & Culture.
'We hope this will be resolved expeditiously," said Commissioner Raymond Y. McGurn of the Department of Permit & Inspection Services ....
McGurn said more research must be done on the law ...Pano Georgiadis attended the meeting with sons Niko and Alex. "It's truly a noble favor to try to save something," Georgiadis told city officials and preservationists ... "I'm the victim right now. The Atwater House is not the victim," he continued. "I spent over $1.5 million on that spot and I've got loans up to my neck because there were no plans. You people jump in after the fact."