The Planning Board this week approved a demolition permit for new owners Mark and Jane Oravec, who have homes in Sag Harbor, New York, and on Division Street.

NEWPORT — The two-story single-family home dating back to 1925 at 9 Lee’s Wharf looks out of place with luxury Brown & Howard Wharf condominium complexes to the north, on the waterfront to the west, and a ¾-acre vacant parking lot to the south that just sold for $3 million.

The historic building, which has seen better days, will not be there long though. The Planning Board this week approved a demolition permit for new owners Mark and Jane Oravec, who have homes in Sag Harbor, New York, and on Division Street. They bought the property for $595,000 in November 2018 and plan to replace the building with a new home.

“If you walk by it, you can see it needs to be torn down,” said attorney Turner Scott, representing the Oravecs. “While you are looking at it, you see it disintegrating in front of your eyes.”

The demolition was approved Monday night on a 5-1 vote by board members, with only Chairwoman Kim Salerno opposed. The board majority was convinced the poor condition of the building and its context merited its replacement, but Salerno thought it should be saved.

“It’s surrounded by parking lots,” said member Jeff Brooks. “Taking down this building will not have a negative impact on the area or the city.”

The building is not in one of the city’s historic districts with zoning protections, but it is listed as a “contributing resource” in the federally recognized Southern Thames Historic District, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Salerno said the city should do all it can to preserve historic structures.

“It’s what we live on,” she said.

City Historic Preservation Planner Helen Johnson studied the building and its history and filed a report of her findings.

“The demolition of this structure will not result in the loss of a distinctive type, period, or method of architecture nor will it result in the loss of the work of a master,” Johnson concluded.

She said the home was likely considered a contributing structure to the historic district because of this National Register criteria “Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history.”

“Throughout its existence the property has been lived and worked in by Newport locals,” Johnson wrote.

Research shows that the first structure at 9 Lees Wharf was built around 1890-1893, when an outbuilding was first mentioned in historical documents. Sumner Stewart had purchased the land in 1889. The barn or shed he constructed was not a livable structure.

John Collon, a builder and carpenter who lived on Denison Street, purchased the property from Stewart in 1913. He made 9 Lees Wharf his place of work in 1916 and worked there for the next nine years, until 1925. He upgraded the building to make it a home and documents show a large increase in property taxes for the building in 1925-1926. The Collon family remained owners of the property until 1946.

In 1957, John Pimental moved into 9 Lees Wharf, where he lived and ran his water taxi business. After the Newport Bridge was built in the 1969, his water taxi business became a regular taxi business called Majestic Cab Co.

Pimental sold the property in 1973 to Thomas and Mary Huhn, who remain listed as owners until 1999.

The extensive historical report with many additional details filed with the Planning Board is based on Newport Historical Society directories and records in the Land Evidence Office of City Hall.

The building has no significant character defining features except for the frame and molding around the front door facing the harbor, Johnson determined.

“A door surround consisting of a broken ogee pediment with fluted columns can be found on the west elevation,” she explained. “This is commonly found in late 19th century Colonial Revival era structures.”

The Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission reviewed the documentation and did not object to the planned demolition of the building.

Because the property is within 200 feet of the waterfront, the owners applied to the state Coastal Resources Management Council for approval of the demolition, which the agency granted with standard stipulations protecting the water and the environment.

“This lot may be subject to sea level rise in the near and long term and is therefore at increased risk of flooding,” CRMC staff wrote in their assent. “The owner is cautioned that the current building codes do not account for sea level rise, and is hereby advised that the building should be elevated to the maximum height allowed under zoning ordinance to account for rising sea level in the future.”

“CRMC is concerned about demolition by a storm surge,” attorney Scott told the Planning Board.

sflynn@newportri.com