Although they were sympathetic when it came to the possibility of the historic Arnold Auditorium being destroyed during a practice burn by the fire department, Addison Township official’s hands are tied.
Township attorney Robert Davis reminded the board last Monday night that it all comes down to a legality issue with the owners of the 151-year-old building on Lakeville Rd., the Addison Township Community Church.
The leaning building has been deemed unsafe since April of this year, but some Addison residents, like Connie Corbin, have been fighting to keep it from being destroyed
‘Right now, this is somebody else’s property, somebody else’s building. They can rip it down tomorrow,? he said. ‘I don’t want us to get involved with making decisions and confiscate someone else’s property.?
Trustee Ed Brakefield wrote a July 16 to the board questioning why he, and other trustees, weren’t informed about the status of Arnold Auditorium, saying he ‘would have never approved this.?
Because the building isn’t owned by the township, there wasn’t a need for any approval by the board.
Brakefield wants the community to know that the township is ‘willing to stand up and save Arnold Auditorium,? although the township can’t do anything, but get the word out.
‘We have to find ways to bring Arnold Auditorium back to its old self,? he told the board.
Addison Township Fire Chief George Spencer told the board the last thing he wants to do is burn the building down for a training session.
The chief said he’s been in contact with Ron Campbell, a historical architect with the Oakland County Planning and Economic Development Department, to see if they can get the ball rolling as far as preservation efforts.
Campbell couldn’t be reached before The Leader went to press.