So
long, greenhouse.
Feb.
20, 2006 -- You
can read a summary of county-related developments
with site owner Story Hill Investments by clicking
here.
Restitution
for park damage to be sought from greenhouse
owners
Jan.
31, 2006 -- Owners of the former greenhouse
on W. Bluemound Rd. will meet with county parks
officials to determine how they will make restitution
for the damage they have done to Mitchell Blvd.
Park.
The
meeting is scheduled for Friday, according to
County Supervisor Lynne DeBruin.
Ald.
Michael Murphy, meanwhile, said the city would
insist that the site be developed as a planned
unit development, which gives the city greater
control over plans and materials.
Workers
who started demolishing the greenhouse structures
removed a county fence without permission and
tore up a small portion of the park without
obtaining a permit, DeBruin said.
The
heavy equipment used by the crews pushed some
of the small trees in the park out of alignment,
she said.
“It
can kill a tree” in a worst case scenario,
she said. At best, she said, “It causes
major stress on a young tree.”Parks officials
also are concerned that location of a stormwater
retention pond called for in preliminary plans
for the site could cause increased flooding
in the park and nearby yards, DeBruin said.
Greenhouse
cited for asbestos violations
County fence removed, park
trampled without permission
Jan.
16 -- Demolition
work on the former Story Hill Gardens greenhouse
was halted last month when inspectors discovered
demolition permits had not been obtained and
asbestos abatement was done improperly.
Workers
at the site also removed the county fence along
the Mitchell Blvd. Park border and ripped up
some of the park property without county permission,
according to County Supervisor Lynne DeBruin's
office.
Exposure
to asbestos can lead to lung disease or cancer.
Workers at the Story Hill Gardens site
took down the county's fence and used Mitchell
Blvd. Park without county permission, according
to County Supervisor Lynne DeBruin's office.
Sheila
Firari, an owner of the site, could not be reached
for comment Sunday. Firari and her business
partner plan to convert the greenhouse property
into single-family lots.
The
city issued an emergency order Dec. 1 halting
work on the greenhouse after getting a complaint
that asbestos might be disturbed.
"Workers
were loading broken transite panels on to a
trailer," according to Department of Neighborhood
Services records. "Inspector issued EO
to cease demo work and asbestos disturbance,
and to obtain proper permits before work could
continue. Inspector placarded building and trailer
with asbestos signs and asbestos barrier tape."
The
department ordered corrections of 13 separate
building code violations, most of them asbestos-related.
Orders were written to monitor worker exposure
to asbestos, to secure areas contaminated with
asbestos, to repair or remove damaged asbestos,
to conduct air sampling, and to obtain demoliton
and asbestos abatement permits.
The greenhouse remains open, broken
and accessible.
Another
order to obtain a demolition permit within 30
days was issued Dec. 7.
An
asbestos project permit was issued Jan. 5, but
the other violations remain unabated, according
to the DNS web site.
The county's fence poles lie in a heap
in front of the greenhouse.
Story
Hill Gardens to be single-family sites
Sept.
19, 2005 -- The Story Hill Gardens
nursery site will be converted into six single-family
home lots, according to the soon-to-be-owner.
The
homes will face Mitchell Blvd. Park, said Sheila
Firari, who is buying the property with her
partner, Lance Dornbrook.
The
lots will be small -- about 125 feet by 55 feet
-- but no smaller than many others in the neighborhood,
she said in an interview. There will be a buffer
along W. Bluemound Rd., she said.
Firari
declined to reveal the sales price of the property
because the deal has not closed.
Story
Hill Gardens, 5033 W. Bluemound Rd., has been
in receivership for a year.
Even
before the business closed, Firari said, "I
thought this would be a nice place to do a little
development."
She
thought the opportunity was gone when General
Capital Group, of Mequon, proposed a condo development
for the site, but that proposal died amid objections
from some neighborhood residents.
Firari
said she and Dornbrook will sell the lots to
individually or as a group. Deed restrictions
will help ensure that homes built on the site
fit in with the neighborhood, she said.
