Of course, I don't expect you to remember this mural I wrote about nine years ago, so I'll recount the story. This mural was painted on the side of our abandoned Agway building and in one of the Friday Letters I used to write, I had a small rant about it because the building was due to be demolished. After much discussion and arguing about what to paint, a local artist just took matters into his own hands and painted Big-Headed Music Boy for just the cost of materials. This is what it used to look like:
Much the same, but a lot brighter. It has definitely faded in nine years, but so have many other things.
But back to the story. The owners of the lot had plans approved for a small complex with apartments and a few shops. But then the mayor and town council thought maybe they could come up with a better plan. Again, there was a lot of discussion and arguing, but also the mayor and members of town council changed at least twice. This served to reset the discussion and arguing all over again, which is why the abandoned building and its fading mural are still standing nine years later.
So I've learned a lesson; it's not worth getting upset about things that are not important in the scheme of things. (This is something I need to be reminded of again and again.) I ranted about painting a mural on a building slated for demolition, but here it is still standing.
That mural is kind of cool, but what an ugly building!! And that last building/train station looks like it could fall down any minute. I've been seeing a bunch of demolition in our area...I think all for "improving" some roads (we shall see).
ReplyDeleteBureaucracy really makes a mess of things, doesn't it? I'm not sure which is worse, the ruins of an old building or the new retail/apartment buildings that seem to pop up everywhere. Even faded, though, the mural is nicer than a blank wall.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing what some people cling to ..............OLD doesn't necessarily mean historic in the "needs to be preserved" kind of way.
ReplyDeleteYes, Bonny, I agree, I need to remind myself of this daily, especially with politics. It has gotten easier for me as I age. Perhaps this is due to so much practice - LOL! I have gotten more in touch with the transient nature of all things and my inability to change things I have absolutely no control over. People who want to save that train station could be putting that energy to much better use in improving their own or someone else's life. Human nature is a mystery.
ReplyDeleteWe've got a similar issue around here. Most of the beach town buildings are falling down but no one wants to take on the expense of bringing them back to life. Our poor coffee shop owner discovered with horror after buying her building that the city required a $50,000 grease trap installed before she could sell food. Now she just sells souvenirs as she works to save the money for the major renovation. The big antique shop across the street was just sold for $700,000 and the new owner is all tied up in red tape to get it up to code to be a pastry shop. It's been months with no movement on it at all. The water park is closed and sitting there rusting away-a big eyesore but it would cost big bucks to demolish it and replace it. The joys of small town life....
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like much the same situation as we are experiencing here but since you live in a beach town, the property values are much higher. Half of our town is "historical" (or "hysterical" as my neighbor calls it) but it seems that nobody cares about the buildings until somebody wants to knock them down.
DeleteIt is truly curious about what counts as history... I am wondering if it is just the "change" that most people are against. (hint...it usually is) I think are are wise to start taking bets... it looks like a good storm could do that little train station in!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting on what a community values as historic or not. And what measures they take to do something about it. I love anything and everything that is history! So I would be sad to see the train station go...
ReplyDeleteOne person's "historic" is another person's "eyesore." I'd say your train station is "picturesque" and likely an interesting subject for landscape artists and photographers. but preservation-worthy???? Hmmmmm. (And you are so right about the transient nature of . . . things.)
ReplyDeleteThe wheels of government turn very slowly and it's good to not get too invested in an outcome because that outcome is often subject to change!
ReplyDeleteLocal politics matters! and I hope that when that train station does fall down, no one gets hurt.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow, there's a whole lot going on here! haha. I rather like the faded mural. But that train station? Where have the "it's historical" people been for the past 50 years?? I love a historical building & a fixer-upper, but that looks pretty far gone (i.e., EXPENSIVE)!!
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