Judge decides if Sumner’s historical Ryan House can be demolished. Here’s what happened
The Ryan House in Sumner will not be demolished soon.
Judge Stanley Rumbaugh decided March 13 during a hearing in Pierce County Superior Court that the city of Sumner’s demolition permit for the historical house at 1228 Main St. shall be revoked.
In September the Sumner City Council voted to demolish the house to turn the site into a park. The city had planned to renovate the house, until officials found it would have cost up to $2.2 million. The city issued the demolition permit in October.
The Save Our Sumner Committee and Nancy Ryan Dressel filed a lawsuit in October, alleging that the city violated state law with how it decided to demolish the house. Attorney David Bricklin from Bricklin & Newman LLP filed the lawsuit on their behalf.
The committee’s goal is to preserve the city’s “historic cultural resources,” according to the lawsuit. Dressel is a descendant of the couple who built the house.
“It’s great to save historic houses, because once they’re gone, they’re gone,” Bricklin told The News Tribune.
George Ryan, the city’s first mayor, built the house in the 1850s with his wife, Lucy Ryan, the local postmistress. The house was the city’s post office, town hall, library and museum. The city took ownership of the house about 100 years ago.
City spokesperson Carmen Palmer told The News Tribune the city does not agree with the judge’s decision. However, the city is in the process of rewriting its comprehensive plan, specifically the portion about the house.
Although this process will include a public hearing, Palmer said the city is looking for the public’s perspective on the entire city and not just the house. Demolition is still a possibility even after the comprehensive plan is rewritten, she said.
“We don’t have the money to rehabilitate it,” Palmer said. “If someone has $2 million call us now.”
‘A window into the pioneer days’
Bricklin argued during the hearing that the house is one of the oldest buildings in the state. The house offers “a window into the pioneer days,” and it is a piece of history, he said.
Bricklin argued that preserving history is a priority in the city’s comprehensive plan and that demolishing the house wouldn’t align with that. He also said there wasn’t enough notice to the public before the city issued the demolition permit. He argued having the house as a topic on the City Council agenda was not enough.
Rumbaugh agreed. He said having the demolition of the house as a topic on the City Council agenda did not count as having “early and continuous public participation,” which is what state law requires.
He also said that the city has the right to make “budgetary decisions” due to cost concerns about the house. However, his ruling means if the city wants to proceed with the demolition, officials need to start the permitting process from scratch, with more public input.
Don Marcy of Cairncross & Hempelmann, who represented the city, argued during the hearing that the house is in “horrible” condition and would cost too much to fix. Concerned residents told the city they planned to raise funds for the house, but that hasn’t come to fruition, Marcy told the court. Turning the house into a park is consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan regarding having green spaces, he said.
Marcy said there would be a plaque and other forms of documentation to commemorate the house if the site is turned into a park. He also said demolition is “a very emotional decision” and also “a feasible and practical decision.”
A sagging roof and a floor at risk of collapsing
Last year the city worked with an engineering consultant to assess the condition of the house. On Sept. 11 city staff updated the City Council on the condition of the house and how much renovations could cost. After the council vote on Sept. 18, the city applied for a demolition permit on Sept. 26.
Palmer told The News Tribune in September that the roof of the house sags and that some walls on the first floor do not have beams to support the floor above it. The second floor could collapse due to the structure of the floorboards, she said.
Nick Biermann and other members of the Friends of the Ryan House, a community group advocating against the demolition, gathered in 37-degree weather at 8 a.m. March 13, about an hour before the hearing, outside the courthouse. About 10 people wore t-shirts that read “Save Our History.”
Biermann, a Sumner resident, said it was important for him to be present because he was upset that the city “quickly” decided to demolish the house.
“There are a lot of beautiful aspects to Sumner,” Biermann said.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include comments from the city’s spokesperson.
This story was originally published March 13, 2024 at 4:19 PM.
