Public hearing on Wellington "north building" fills Supervisors Room

About 15 people crowded into the Winneshiek County Supervisors Board Room at the Courthouse on Monday morning to offer input on the request that the county demolish the "north yellow building." That request came from Wellington Place officials to the Supervisors, and a hearing was set to obtain public input.  Wellington, which leases the property from Winneshiek County for $1 per year, has a vested interest in the abandoned building because it is attached to the operational Wellington Place laundry facility, and is connected with the sprinkler system. Technically, Wellington Place has a responsibility for maintaining the building, but as questions arose at the meeting it was apparent that not everything was clearly defined.

Wellington concerns about the property, passed on by Supervisor John Logsdon, included the health hazards of rodents and mold concerns. Visitors present said those concerns could be easily addressed and urged the board to take its time and carefully crunch the numbers in terms of demolition, renovation, and/or putting the building in a "mothball state" until something could be determined regarding its future.  Numerous people spoke to the historic nature of the "poor farm" and its potential uses – from housing to business offices. Several people who had toured the building last week expressed favorable opinions about the condition of the building.

Dean Thompson, representing the Winneshiek County Historic Preservation Commission, expressed the opinion that the building, thought to be constructed in the late 1880's, was basically sound on both the inside and outside. The building is old enough for potential inclusion in the National Registry of Historic Places, and in contrast to the recently demolished Caretaker's Building, this structure is architecturally distinctive, giving it a better chance of inclusion.  Thompson said that a major concern was one of process, and that the county presently has no clear guidelines or criteria related to the demolition, or preservation, of potentially historic places.

Supervisors expressed the opinion that numerous studies, from architectural integrity to environmental issues (including asbestos), needed to happen.  They also said that this would not be a quick process and could easily last longer than a year.