The petition
TO THE MADISON CATHOLIC DIOCESE AND THE CITY OF MADISON COMMON COUNCIL:
WHEREAS,
1. St. Raphael’s Cathedral is the oldest large masonry building in the City of Madison, dating to 1854;
2. This building was damaged by fire in March 2005, and it has not deteriorated beyond repair, and it is feasible to stabilize the building remains;
3. The City of Madison Department of Planning & Development issued a demolition permit for this building on July 1, 2008;
4. The Madison Catholic Diocese has no definitive plans to build a new cathedral on the 200 block of W. Main Street in the foreseeable future, and may never build a new cathedral there;
5. This building, even in its current ruinous state meets all four criteria for Madison landmark status [MGO 33.19(4)(a)];
6. It is in the interest of public policy to preserve historic buildings [MGO 33.19(1)];
7. The destruction of this building would be tragic, represent an irreplaceable loss of Madison heritage and history, and cause irreparable public harm;
8. The public has not had an official opportunity to voice their opinion on demolishing the building;
9. We the undersigned, believe it is in the best interest of the City of Madison and its citizens to preserve what remains of this building;
NOW, THEREFORE, WE REQUEST THE CITY OF MADISON COMMON COUNCIL TO:
1. Pass an emergency ordinance to prevent the demolition of the remaining structure of St. Raphael’s Cathedral and require the Madison Catholic Diocese to stabilize the remains until such time as the Diocese has plans for a new cathedral and the financing to support it; and,
WE REQUEST THE MADISON CATHOLIC DIOCESE TO:
1. Halt any and all demolition operations on the remains of St. Raphael’s Cathedral; and,
2. Invest the necessary funds to stabilize the remains of St. Raphael’s Cathedral.
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