David Oliver: Put historic Taylor House back on the market

To The Daily Sun,

As a lifelong resident of this town, I’m outraged that the selectboard just voted to demolish the Taylor House. What exactly will tearing down this landmark house accomplish? It will create a void at the very center of town, destroy our history, and degrade the streetscape that makes Moultonborough Village a special place. I’ve said it before, but demolition is a failure of vision, planning, and patience.

At Town Meeting last year, I made the motion to table Article #19, which asked taxpayers for $75,000 to demolish the Taylor House. Speakers opposed tearing down the landmark house, and supported taking the time to find an investor for it. People want to keep the historic character of the village intact, in line with the Village Vision report and more recent planning studies, all of which identify the Taylor House as a community asset and opportunity for reinvestment.

Over a year ago, we asked the selectboard to put the Taylor House back up for sale, since it takes time and the right person to take on a historic rehabilitation project. They’ve taken no action on a listing, and we’re missing out on the hottest real estate market on record. If the town can’t find a use for the house, it’s time to sell it to someone who will rehabilitate it and bring it back to life. Why are we hiring a new planner, when the town ignores all planning recommendations?

All reports show that the Lakes Region real estate market is booming, as buyers and investors continue to buy properties outside of urban areas. Relocation and reinvestment in rural areas is the 'silver lining" of the COVID-19 pandemic for towns like ours, and there’s interest in historic properties. The Taylor House presents an opportunity in today’s overheated market, and could be a success story like rehabilitation projects we see nearby in Tamworth and Wolfeboro.

Given today’s market, what is the harm in re-listing the property now? Moving forward, why not have some options available? The town already approved selling the house with limited acreage for just $62,700, and that can still happen. We have professional reports and rehabilitation estimates available for potential buyers. Let’s not squander this opportunity for investment in our town.

David R. Oliver

Moultonborough Falls