By Carolyn Bennett & Liz Page
HOBART — A historic Hobart landmark building and its tenants were left homeless after the 135 year-old building was declared unsafe last week.
The two-story building situated in the heart of Main Street, was declared unsafe and a dozen residents and three businesses ordered to evacuate after an inspection by the village code enforcement officer uncovered dozens code and life-threatening electrical and other violations.
Village of Hobart Code Enforcement Officer Richard Briscoe found rotting, broken and missing beams – non-working bathrooms, no ventilation, bedrooms with only one means of egress and so much more,” he wrote in a report requesting further inspection by an engineer before any repairs could be considered.
The landmark structure, built just after the American Revolution ca.1790, started out as the George Foote’s tavern and later operated as the Wilcox Hotel, Wetmore Hotel, Griffin’s Hotel, Mansion House, Commercial House, and finally the Hobart Inn. For decades it served as various restaurants until recently when the building’s first floor became home to the Hobart Exchange, Caban Company, More Good Books and Quarry Books.
“This is an ongoing situation with the landlord,” said Julie Rockefeller, a first-floor tenant and owner-operator of the Hobart Exchange, a variety store carrying toys, games, stationary, art supplies, and knitted items. ”There’s too much to explain,” she said, apologetically.
“Right now I need to relocate my library, two bookstores, and the Hobart Exchange as quickly as possible.
“There are also 12 people who live upstairs in squalid conditions created by this landlord’s [neglect] since she bought the building in the fall of 2022 after I was already a tenant,” she said.
Rockefeller, who is also the newly appointed coordinator of the Hobart Community Alliance said that she was “frozen in shock for a couple of hours” before reaching out “in a number of directions” for help with relocating individual pieces of her shop and emergency housing for displaced tenants until she and others could find a long-term way to “put it all back together again.”
Some, like Mary Eignor, have pets to consider. She said she has a cat, three dogs and a gerbil. She is watching some of them for her daughter and said she will not let them go. Her son was at the building Tuesday, attempting to help people move, those that had a place to go to. She was thankful for the bags Tops in Stamford had dropped off to help them pack. Mary does have a place to move to. Regine, who has two cats, was in the process of moving, while Rob Jones is being helped by the Catskill Center for Independence. He has lived in the building since 2021 when it was owned by Don Dales.
Andrew Levi and Wesley Eignor are former tenants and described the conditions as deplorable. They said that they are happy they were able to move out. There are a dozen tenants paying more than $9,000 in rent per month collectively, but only one of the three bathrooms is functional and everyone must use the same one. Next to the commode is a ripped-out wall and piping that was once the shower. Another bathroom has black mold.
"They just keep covering the black mold with sheet rock," said Levi. When it rains, Jones said, you can take a shower in the one bathroom without turning the shower on.
The ceilings are bare, with electric and plumbing exposed. Ironically, two ornate picture frames and paintings hang in the landing, along with the thermostat the tenants must put batteries in to make sure the heat doesn't go out and a breaker panel with exposed electric wires. Doorways have been patched with duct tape and cardboard. There are cobwebs everywhere. The room keys have been replaced by padlocks
An upstairs hallway is pitch black. "We don't dare turn the light on because it will trip the circuit breaker," said Mary, who has ventured to the far reaches of the basement more than once to find the breaker switch and flip it back on. Her son didn't believe it was safe to go into the basement, afraid of electrical shock. No one is doing anything resembling maintenance of the building, they said, except the owner, Inna Sobel.
They repeatedly said she has told them she will fix things, but never does. "She doesn't care," each said.
While it is a bad time of year for this to happen and it will break up the camaraderie of those living in the hotel, Wesley and Andrew believe the tenants will be much better off. They have helped each other and are like a family under the leaking roof.
Julie Rockefeller has been helping to advocate for the tenants who live in the building and the Department of Social Services and the Catskill Center for Independence have been working to find places for the tenants to stay. Jones said he would be going to a motel room if they can't find a place for him to live. He may stay in a motel room temporarily.
Several tenants were waiting to hear back from the DSS and they have been connected to an attorney to help them. Rent in the building ranged from $650 to $1,000 per month and tenants said Sobel just went through to collect all the rent, leaving them with few resources to find new places to stay. There is a laundry room, but the dryer cannot be used because it blows a circuit. The kitchen isn't a place any of them want to cook. Rob Jones has his own crock pot and hot plate in his room.
The tenants do believe things will be better once they move.
The building’s owner, 52 year-old Inna Sobel, is a licensed limited liability real estate broker doing business as Atelier Properties LLC at 3 Academy Street in Stamford. Sobel owns several other buildings in the area. She did not respond to the Mountain Eagle’s request for comment before press time.
Sobel applied for a building permit to install solar panels on the roof of the building. The permit was granted, but when an inspection was done it was determined the existing roof would not support the panels. The roof was not included in the solar panel permit and work was halted. An issue was found in the panel box and the building inspector was called in. He called in an electrical inspector. The result is the removal of all the occupants of the building.
"This Structure is Unsafe and its occupancy has been prohibited by the fire code official.”
"It shall be unlawful for any person to enter such a structure except for the purpose of securing the structure, making the required repairs, removing hazardous conditions or demolition of the structure.” It is signed by Richard Briscoe.
What could easily have been a hard-luck story with a tragic ending is turning around with the help of Hobart’s community leaders and neighbors, most especially, The Catskill Center for Independence in Oneonta that moved quickly to locate housing for six tenants who qualified for its services. Several other organizations have stepped in to assist including the Hobart Community Alliance, Hobart Historical Society, Hobart Methodist Church, Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, along with a huge number of caring friends and neighbors. The Department of Social Services is working to find more housing and has promised that no person will be left homeless in the cold. The affected have also been aided by a great network of local friends and neighbors who have helped with everything from packing, animal care, and relocation. The tenants themselves have shown particular resiliency considering the challenges.
What happens to the historic 18th century building, a vital Main Street anchor situated in the middle of town, is another question. According to a report written by Alfandre Architecture for a Feasibility Study commissioned in 2017 by Western Catskills Community Revitalization, the Inn has been a part of the village for over 125 years. One section of the hotel was built around the same time people were just beginning to settle in the area, around 1788. Two additions were built onto the original building: one ca/ 1810 and the other ca. 1884. Because the three additions were built at different times, the Hobart Inn has three different architectural styles including stone, timber-frame and balloon framing. After visiting the hotel, the architectural firm created a feasibility study summarizing what steps could be taken to improve the Historic Hobart Inn and revive it as “a boutique hotel to reflect the Village of Hobart.” with the cost of building general repairs at $297,700 and design alterations at the cost of $1,627,100.
According to volunteer Mary Van Valkenburg, housing has been found for seven residents, with possibilities for several more as of press time. Generous local fosters have been found for all of the pets. All residents are expected to vacate the building by week’s end.
If you wish to donate to a fund that has been set up for the Hobart Inn’s displaced residents, please use this link: https://givebutter.com/KXZkMH .
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