The Village of Hamburg intends to prosecute a demolition contractor for tearing down an old house without a permit.

A law adopted in 2005 requires the permit in order to make certain that nothing of historic value is demolished without the village being notified.
Kurt Allen, supervising code enforcement official, told the Village Board on Monday night that the house at 115 Main St., across the street from Village Hall, was razed last week.

While the the house is not believed to have been of historic value, the contractor had not completed the permit application.

"I think we need to be firm," said Thomas P. Tallman, acting mayor in the absence of Mayor Thomas J. Moses. The other three trustees agreed.
Allen said the law "is something we take seriously, and we don't want this to happen again."

The name of the contractor was not available, but the property is owned by Hamburg United Methodist Church, which recently completed a $2 million expansion and needs the room for parking.

Contacted Monday night, the Rev. Charles Excell, pastor, said the matter was handled by the board of trustees. He said he understood that the contractor had called someone in Village Hall, been told that the permit had been issued, and went ahead with the work.

"It was a matter of miscommunication, but obviously he should have gotten the actual permit," Excell said.

"We have invested a lot of money to stay in the village, and we would never do anything to circumvent the village," he added.

Violation of the law carries a maximum $250 fine and up to 15 days in jail.