This old house may face wrecking ball in Oyster Bay as fire department plans expansion
The Oyster Bay Fire Department has applied for a demolition permit for the Charles Chester Painter House, a late 19th century house the volunteer firefighting organization bought in 2011 that is next to a fire station. Credit: Rick Kopstein
The Oyster Bay Fire Department wants to tear down a late 19th century structure it owns that once was a town supervisor's home, to make room for a future expansion.
Last month fire officials applied for a demolition permit for the Charles Chester Painter House, but Oyster Bay spokeswoman Marta Kane said the town hasn't issued one as the planning and development board waits for more information from the applicants.
Kane said they don't need town board approval for demolition because the home isn't an Oyster Bay landmark.
Oyster Bay Fire Company No. 1 bought the home, which is adjacent to the company's South Street location, in 2011 for $530,000, according to Nassau County property records.
Since then, the home has deteriorated significantly, preservationists and fire officials said.
The volunteer firefighting outfit doesn't yet have firm plans for how to build on the plot, said Chief of Department Thomas Rahilly Jr.
“We’re hoping to eventually put another small building to house some of our equipment and some office space,” Rahilly added in a recent interview.
The space also may allow for training on department grounds or be used in the future for indoor storage of equipment that now is outside, according to the chief.
Rahilly said the company's current building, which is more than a century old, is “maxed out” in terms of space.
The fire official said issues with locating the gas shut-off for the home created a delay with the demolition permit application, but the department hopes to knock down the structure in the near future.
Harriet Clark, executive director of Oyster Bay's Raynham Hall Museum, said Victorian homes like the Painter House represent the “defining characteristics of South Street” and “the right decision would be to preserve as many of those as possible.”
She added that there should be incentives for property owners to restore older buildings, even if they aren't landmarks.
Meredith Maus, executive director of Oyster Bay Main Street Association, echoed that sentiment but noted the department bought the property years ago.
“The time to have stepped in was a decade-plus ago,” said Maus.
Charles Chester Painter served 14 years as Oyster Bay's supervisor and held positions in the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce and the Nassau County Board of Supervisors, according to the Oyster Bay Main Street Association.
Census records show he lived in the home in the early 1900s.
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