South Bradford Street historic buildings to be demolished for parking structure

The Downtown Dover Partnership is set to demolish two buildings on South Bradford Street and build a new parking structure.

The DDP has heard pushback from locals wanting to save the historic buildings, but the city’s Board of Adjustments dismissed an appeal Wednesday submitted by the Friends of Old Dover.

No one has filed for demolition permits for the two historic buildings on the grounds of the potential structure, which would be the first step in the process.

Nathan Attard is the president of the Friends of Old Dover and says a number of studies claim the need for a parking garage in Dover is overstated.

“I’m concerned that we’re going to have a white elephant project here where we’re going to have a parking garage that we didn’t really need,” Attard said. “I’m kind of concerned this sets the precedent that Dover’s historic district can be torn down piece by piece.”

There isn’t anything else the Friends of Old Dover can do for the buildings, Attard says, but he wants to know why the Board of Adjustment didn’t make room for public comment during the proceedings.

The city doesn’t have a time frame on the process, according to Dawn Melson-Williams, the principal planner with the City of Dover’s Department of Planning and Inspections.

“It’s the subject of the owner, the developer and their contractor to, once work is authorized, to actually have the work start and be completed,” Melson-Williams said. “It depends, of course, on the complexity of the demolition and things like Mother Nature as well.”

After permits for demolition, DDP would also have to submit an application to the city’s Historic District Commission for an architectural review certification and a site plan application to be reviewed by the city’s Planning Commission.