Baxter Estates Owner Looks to Demolish Historic Site After Massive Blaze

The property owner of Baxter Estates has submitted a letter to the Village of Baxter Estates expressing her plans to demolish the property after the historical building was devastated by a massive fire on Sunday.

In a letter to residents from the Village that was shared with Patch, the owner plans to submit a demolition permit, but the Village says it has not yet received an application from the property owner to demolish the structure.

Village Building Inspector Joseph Saladino and independent structural engineer Dean Koutsoubis evaluated the building on Wednesday from behind a 6-foot chain-link fence and determined the building should be demolished.

During the inspection, the privately owned Baxter House had its perimeter secured, preventing Saladino or Koutsoubis from getting a close look at the home.

In his report of the structure, Saladino said he had to use binoculars to get a closer look.

“Roof components were burned away as well as wall supports, those that remained and visible in my opinion were too severely compromised by the fire to be used,” Saladino said in his report.

Koutsoubis, who was hired by the Village of Baxter Estates to perform an independent evaluation of the Baxter House, said in his report that trying to replace the damaged portions of the building without demolishing it would be “cost prohibitive” but said it is possible the building’s foundation can be reused in a replica.

“If there is any interest in restoring the structure for historic reasons, a more cost-effective approach would be to construct a replica of the building that would take advantage of the latest construction technology and be in full conformance to the current building code,” Koutsoubis said in his structure report.

According to the Village, Saladino and Koutsoubis say the building is no longer structurally sound, but it is not creating a safety hazard that requires emergency action.

If weather or other conditions cause a collapse of the structure, debris created by the collapse would likely not go past the chain-link fence and lead to safety concerns.

The only way the Village’s Landmarks Preservation Commission would not be in charge of the request for demolition of the Baxter House is if there was a danger that required emergency action by the Village. Based on the structural reports, the Village does not believe an emergency situation exists.

“The Village will continue to monitor the situation and should such an emergency situation materialize prior to such time as the commission reaches a decision on demolition, the Village will take action, consistent with the privately owned nature of the property and the Village’s role in maintaining safety,” the Village said in the letter.

• The Village Landmarks Commission will meet Wednesday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Port Washington Public Library, located at 1 Library Drive.

Long Island was hit with blizzard-like conditions Thursday, and Newsday reported snow fell through the roof of the Baxter House. Village officials told the publication they had no authority to protect the home against the weather.

Many residents have recommended attaching plywood to the roof remnants, but Saladino said there is no feasible way to physically and safely secure plywood to the roof in its current condition due to the loss of the structural roof support beams. “In fact, plywood attached to the roof would likely become weighted down with snow, and cause roof collapse,” the letter to residents notes. “That conclusion was also supported by a structural contractor offering pro bono services, whose name was provided to the Village by a group of concerned residents.”

Police Investigation

The chain-link fence was erected around the Baxter House property since the Sunday fire as authorities conducted an investigation.

The Nassau County Fire Marshal and the Police Department Arson/Bomb Squad completed their on-site investigation into the cause of the fire on Tuesday morning. The authorities said they will continue their investigation off-site, and the Baxter House property was handed back to the property owner and the jurisdiction of the Village of Baxter Estates Building Department.

Photo courtesy of Amy Bagnato