Overrule Historic District Commission Who Continuously Denied Demolition Since January
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Oxford, Maryland is a beautiful, quiet, historic town on the Tred Avon River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. The homes in the town's historic district were once a mix of waterman's and business owners' houses. Some belonged to the Black population who were an integral part of the town. Most of the homes were fairly small, simple and had a specific look to them.
Oxford is NOT Williamsburg. But, if you follow the town's Historic District Commission meetings you might think that it is harder to restore a property in the small town than it is in Williamsburg.
The town government created a "Historic District Commission" to protect that look and the historic nature of Oxford. For a while, it worked. In the 90's four members of the commission were removed by the town's elected commissioners because they were not responsibly fulfilling the stated responsibility of that commission.
That may have to happen again.
We have reported in the past on the dismissive attitude and disregard for rules by several members the Oxford Historic District Committee.
Oxford Historic District Commission Ignores Regulations - The Easton Gazette
In that article, we shared a quote from Commission member Justin Werner, regarding how decisions are made:
He thought the members ( of the commission) needed to use their own
personal opinion as a board as to whether they should approve something or not, based on all the
data that has been put in front of them. He added that even though the guidelines say that the
style isn't permitted, it does allow the commission the latitude to say they can't look at it from a
neighborhood standpoint and that the commission should have the ability to vote on what they
feel is an appropriate action for this type of proposal.
Mr. Werner made this statement in regard to approving a fence for Committee Chairman Jennifer Stanley in 2024. It seems that Mr. Werner and Ms. Stanley are very tight allies on the commission, as she always asks for his opinion first and the statements they make about most issues are identical. And, of course, he approves what she wants to do on her property.
If you are someone else, watch out. You might not get the same grace.
From the minutes dated 10/7/2024 when Irina and Will Cawley presented the plans for a home they wanted to build on Stewart Street, Committee member Justin Werner used phrases like " my gut opinion" and "the design is a little too much out of a catalog," and "just my two cents" in denying the Cawleys a permit.
Werner didn't like Cawley's plans for his house. However, the plans that had been approved previously by a HDC made up of different members. His "gut feeling" ruled his decision, not any facts about the home. Even chair Jennifer Stanley asked Werner what he "didn't like" about the home.
The rest of the meeting went in a similar fashion. Apparently, Mr. Werner didn't consider the fact that on the same street, in the same neighborhood, there were homes that were like Mr. Cawley's, only even more "modern" looking. Apparently, Werner hasn't looked at other homes in Oxford that have been renovated lately which seem out of place. Ultimately, Cawley's house was approved, but only after several more meetings and a lot of dismissive attitudes and arrogance from members of the HDC.
Eventually, because of her alleged disrespect toward Cawley and his wife and perceived lack of knowledge about cases in front of her, there was a hearing about Jennifer Stanley's leadership on the committee. In meetings, she was disorganized and seemed to forget important information. She also seemed dismissive to some people who came before her. However, she was kept as Chairman.* However, there were several stern suggestions from the Commissioners:
The Commissioners would like to remind Mrs. Stanley that as a member of the Oxford Historic District Commission, she is a representative of the Town of Oxford. Residents of Oxford need to be able to trust that elected and appointed officials of the Town act responsibly, while serving in their official capacity. As a member of the Historic District Commission, and particularly as the Chair, Mrs. Stanley has a duty to be prepared for all meetings, which includes thoroughly reviewing all materials and ensuring that meeting materials are complete. The Chair is also responsible for maintaining decorum at meetings, which includes maintaining civility, respect, and adherence to established rules and protocols.
One would think that after this suggestion, the behavior would stop.
It hasn't. In fact, in light of a recent meeting, it's gotten worse. Now that the battle with Will and Irina Cawley over their property on Stewart Street is in their rearview mirror, it seems that Stanley and Werner have set their sights on two new residents of Oxford, Mark and Erin Leavitt.
Mark and Erin Leavitt, owners of 206 Market Street, came in for a consultation to ask the Historic Commission their thoughts on how to improve their property while adhering to the guidelines of the historic district as well. They met with the committee on five different occasions.
During these meetings, the Leavitts told the committee that the house they had bought and wanted to renovate, a house that once belonged to the only Black Policeman in Oxford's history, was in such poor condition and so unsafe that the only option would be to demolish it and then rebuild on that property. They wanted to rebuild it in a way that would respect the history of the home.
They met with the committee five times, 1/6/25, 4/7/25, 5/5/25, 7/7/25, and 8/4/25. Each time they met, the Leavitts made a plea to demolish the house because it was dangerous. Here are some pictures of the house:
The Outside of the Home at 206 Market Street
This picture from inside the house shows the rot and termite infestation. Engineers mentioned possible asbestos in the materials.
Each time the Leavitts appeared before the committee, the HDC demanded they spend more money, jump through more hoops, and ultimately hire a structural engineer to certify that the house needed to be demolished, etc. The committee didn't seem to care that these actions would cost the Leavitts a great deal of money. One member was heard to say that the cost to the homeowner was "not their problem."
At these meetings, statements from experts stated that the house should be demolished, that it had asbestos in it, that it was dangerous, a fire hazard, and likely to collapse. Still, it was not good enough for the HDC who sent the homeowners out of the last meeting with no decision.
At the most recent meeting, the Leavitt's presented a full engineer's report complete with pictures and findings. You can find it in this packet which was presented to the HDC at the August 4, 2025 meeting:
https://www.oxfordmd.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08042025-345
And, even with all of that and with some appeals to reason from other HDC members Terry Sullivan and Margaret Morris, the committee left the Leavitt's in limbo, telling them they'd get back to them. Ms. Stanley commented that the possibility of there being asbestos in the home was not a big deal and the homeowners should pull off a section of the wall to see if there truly is asbestos. Just to be clear, that's a violation of state law and could cost the homeowners a daily fine. Strange that Ms. Stanley, the chairman of a committee that makes decisions about old homes, wouldn't know that.
Maryland Asbestos Regulations: Compliance and Legal Overview - LegalClarity
Werner said didn't want to approve the demolition because he wasn't sure that he trusted that the Leavitt's would actually build the home as they had said they would. He basically called them liars. Did we mention that Mr. Leavitt is a Navy veteran who has been nothing but honest in his dealings with the town and committee?
It should not be common practice to question someone's honesty when they appear in front of a committee.
When committee member Sullivan pointed out that the Leavitts have been in front of the commission three times already, Mr. Werner said he didn't care if they came in front of them 25 times. Chairman Stanley said she didn't care about how much it cost the Leavitts to redo this house the way the HDC wanted.
It seems Werner and Stanley have little understanding or empathy about the ramifications of their actions in these meetings.
With these kinds of antics on display by the HDC, Oxford, which is already a town builders and contractors don't want to work in, is basically telling people who might be interested in buying and renovating an historic district home, "Don't come here. We will make the process impossible for you." This will keep homes in the historic district from selling to private owners. This will negatively affect the housing market in the entire town.
When people see how some members of this commission, treat citizens by implying they are liars and forcing them to try to cross an ever-moving goal line in order to renovate their home, many will judge all of Oxford as being rude, dismissive, arrogant and elitist. This is far from the truth.
Our town is aging, but no young couples who come to town will wish to buy a home in the historic district because of the attitude of some members of this committee. We could end up with a bunch of vacant homes in the historic district or even a slew of corporate rentals. So much for preserving our town!
This committee displays by the actions of a few members that volunteers for committees in Oxford do not have to have respect for the residents nor treat them professionally. Associate with the "wrong" people and be assured you will be treated unfairly. This is something we are trying to change after the recent turnover in town commissioners and administration. Thankfully, no other commission treats people with this kind of disrespect.
The committee could have put the town in jeopardy of being sued by this homeowner as well as anyone who may have their homes or lives damaged if the house in question did indeed collapse, catch on fire etc.. After all, representatives of the town on the HDC did not allow the homeowner to demolish it as engineers recommended.
Thankfully, on Friday, August 8, the Town Commissioners took the issue of the Leavitt's home into their hands. The town brought in additional inspectors and the town engineer to inspect the property. At a special meeting, they voted unanimously to authorize the demolition of the Leavitt's house on 206 Market Street. As Commissioner Norm Bell said, "We have to preserve and protect the health of the citizens of Oxford." He reminded everyone of the dangers of asbestos and lead, particularly the asbestos.
Here are the agenda and documents from this meeting:
Commissioner Agenda 08_8_25_.pdf
Commission President Greer noted that in the town code, the town shall (must) notify the owner of a home that is hazard and must be demolished. She also said she was grateful to the homeowner for coming forward.
During public comment at the meeting, Historic District Commission member Jim Wilcox read part of a lengthy statement in which he stated that he would have hoped the homeowner would have consulted more with the Historic Committee before it came down to a Commissioner's decision.
Other speakers asked that the town be more proactive in dealing with these properties that are allowed to fall into disrepair. One gentleman who does demolitions of homes for a living stated that many times homeowners will allow demolition by neglect as planned demolition can be very expensive.
Since the Leavitts recently purchased this home, that was not the case in their situation.
Commissioner Dave Donovan commented, " I can't get my head around the comment that the Historic Committee didn't have adequate opportunity to meet with the homeowner." He then noted the five times the Leavitts met with the Committee regarding the home and its condition. He stated that the comment was "without substance."
Other Commissioners agreed that the town does need to keep a closer eye on similar properties that may be degrading.
After discussion ended, the Commissioners voted to adjourn the meeting and go to closed session.
While the situation on 206 Market Street has been resolved, it points out something that has been going on in Oxford for quite some time. Prior to January 2025, the members of these powerful town committees was chosen by one person, the prior Town Manager, with a rubber stamp from the commissioners. It was what we used to call in travel athletics, "the friend and families" plan. It assures that those who are friendly with the people in charge are taken care of and those who aren't are not.
It went on for quite a while. Thankfully, the process is much better now with the town accepting applications, posting them online, conducting livestreamed interviews with prospective volunteers, and then having the Commissioners vote on their selections. One might think that is overkill since these are volunteers, but as we have seen in the above situation and many more, decisions from committees can cost some people money and possibly help others gain favor. In the past, those in power used these positions to control what happened in Oxford.
While we can't forget that the people serving on these committees are volunteers, the applicants appearing before them are not. They are simply people want to renovate their homes and businesses in the best way they can while following the rules. Committee members should welcome these citizens and homeowners and treat them with respect, not torture them with changing guidelines and directions.
In the middle of all this, we need to remember Mr. Banks, a good man, a part time policeman in Oxford for 25 years and a delivery man who was reliable and friendly:
Oxford Vignettes: Shoot Out in Oxford! – Attraction
*I testified on behalf of the Cawleys at the hearing regarding Ms. Stanley's conduct of meetings
