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November 8, 2006
Mr. Jay Myers
Simonson Construction Services, Inc.
2112 Troy Road
Ashland, OH 44805
Dear Jay,
Thanks you for your letter dated November 2, 2006. It shed much needed light on what the groups trying to save the house have considered to be an inflated and unrealistic figure. You may only be away of what has been said on your behave in the newspaper, but the “in excess of a million dollars” quote that the Historical Society claims they received from Simonson Construction Services has been used extensively to support their claim that renovating the house would be “financially irresponsible.”
In the Historical Society application for demolition presented to the Historic Preservation Board on June 19, 2006 you and Simonson Construction are referred to in the Feasibility of Rehabilitation Analysis under cost “Simonson Builders toured the building to quote the project” “inorder to renovate this structure into a state of decent and habitable occupancy, the projected cost would be in excess of one million dollars.” Also in a Letter to the Membership, Tina Carpenter overstated again your comments, “Mr. Myers informed us that to merely bring this building to an acceptable public use level, it would cost upwards of one million dollars. “These two documents contain the only information published by the Historical Society concerning the cost of the project. Ms. Carpenter then confirmed your quote again at the Historic Preservation Board meeting on August 2, 2006 and added “this high figure would not include any repair work to the exterior of the house.” This quote directly contradicts yoru recent letter to me. Your letter titled “A.N. Myers--Preliminary Code Review,” and your person letter of June 13th addressed to Ms. Carpenter, both on Simonson Construction stationary, further link you and Simonson Construction with the $1,000,000 bid. The Historical Society has grossly exaggerated your verbal statement, but it was in turn supported by your letter explaining that “in your opinion, the financial risk of this project significantly outweighs the potential reward.”
As you have asked, I will inform the Center Street Historic District Association members that you and/or Simonson Construction Services, Inc. made no “bid” and that your statement was an “off the cuff” estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. However, the damage has been done; your alleged comments are public record. Until the Historical Society notifies the Historic Preservation Board that they have falsified information in their demolition application, the CSHDA will continue to refer to this $1,000,000.00 Simonson Construction “quote.” My hope is that you can use your position at Simonson to convince the Historical Society to publicly retract their false statements and misinformation provided to their membership and this community.
For future information enclosed is a copy of the Historical Society’s demolition application and her letter to the Historical Society membership.
Cordially,
Rodney Mohr
CC:
Hon. William Strine
Kathy Aldridge, Historic Preservation Board Chair
Philip Leibolt, President Ashland County Historical Society
Attorney John Good
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