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2003
7 August 2003
Historic inn is for sale
Reversing a position she expressed last week, a representative of the Rylstone historical society confirmed this week the historic Bridge View Inn has been offered privately for sale and will be auctioned off if that sale falls through.
Eunice Maddock, public officer of the Rylstone and District Historical Society Inc, confirmed the sale plans after two trustees of the society disputed her statement to the Mudgee Guardian last week that no decision had been made to sell or subdivide the historic building.
The society has owned the Bridge View Inn, Rylstone's best known and most striking heritage building, for almost half a century. The building is currently leased in part to restaurant operators Per and Helen Kristenson.
"Should the offer of the current lessees be not accepted, then the property would be advertised to seek expressions of interest from prospective purchasers.
If the results of this are not successful, the property will go to auction," Mrs Maddock told the Guardian Monday in a prepared statement.
Rylstone real estate agent Neil Brodie told the Guardian he estimates the Bridge View Inn is worth between $350,000 and $400,000.
An officer at the NSW Heritage Office, meanwhile, told the Guardian the Heritage Council would have to give its approval for any subdivision of a heritage listed National Trust building such as the Bridge View Inn.
Senior Heritage Officer Dennis McManus also raised a number of questions about any prospective sale and said he believes when a community organisation sells a public property the sale should be by public tender arrangement.
Asked on July 27 about rumours the Bridge View Inn was being sold by the society, Mrs Maddock said discussions had taken place but no decisions were made or formal measures introduced.
Mr McDonald and Mr Staff, however, said they each received letters dated July 17 advising them the society had unanimously adopted the following resolution during a meeting on May 14, 2003: "That the property incorporating the Bridge View Inn be subdivided and that portion currently leased to the tenants be the subject of an offer to purchase by the tenants."
The letter went on to say:
"Since that meeting a surveyor and valuer have been retained by the Society and solicitors, Dear and Loneragan have been retained to act for the Society to facilitate conveyancing.
"Dear and Loneragan will be in contact with you, as a Trustee, when the sale has been agreed, for the purposes of conveying the sale."
Asked this week about her previous remarks, Mrs Maddock said that when she was first contacted she didn't want to say anything.
She said that as an incorporated organisation the society had to make sure everything was above board and all steps were being taken to ensure that this was so.
Both Mr Staff and Mr McDonald - neither of whom attended the May 14 meeting - were foundation members of the historical society as well as original trustees along with Marge Taylor and John Nevell.
Mr Maddock has now joined Mr Staff and Mr McDonald as a third trustee of the society.
Mr Staff said he was devastated by the letter, which indicated that the heritage building might be lost to public ownership.
"We acted in the best interests of the community to save this building and keep it open to the public, he said."
Mr McDonald was also disappointed and said he felt they had been kept very much in the dark.
"There's a lot to be revealed and it should come out into the public. It's an important issue and it certainly should be aired."
Mr McDonald said one of his main concerns was that public money had gone into restoration and ongoing maintenance costs of the building.
"A lot of grant money has gone into the building as well," he said. "The other thing is, with the surge of interest in the Rylstone area, many visitors should be able to take advantage of it and inspect this lovely old building."
He added that he would be doing everything in his power to make sure the building was not sold or, if it was sold, to assure it was by public auction.
Mr McManus of the Heritage Office said he had not been contacted by the Rylstone historical society yet but said there were a few points he would like to make.
"The Bridge View Inn is a National Trust building and is protected under the state heritage register and therefore requires consent of the Heritage Council before any subdivision of the property takes place," he said.
"We provided money in the past and the committee needs to be aware that if the building is sold we will ask for the money back.
"I would also like them to consider that when the community sells an asset they could end up with a fabulous first-owner, but what about the next owner and the one after that? There's no guarantee in the long term that it will be looked after."
Mr McManus said his advice in the sale of any public asset by a community organisation is that it undertakes "best practice management" and this involves putting the property to some public tender arrangement.
"It's just good common sense to ensure that everyone who is interested in the property gets a chance to bid and that you get the best possible price for the asset," he said.
When Mr McManus' concerns were put to Mrs Maddock she agreed it is a possibility the Bridge View Inn could be closed to the public in the future.
"It's problematic, but we have to take one step at a time," she said1 .