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Asbestos may slow razing of Biltmore

Nobody knows how much of the hazardous material is in the resort. But its removal is complicated.

By LORRI HELFAND
Published May 11, 2005

BELLEAIR - Even if preservationists and town officials are unable to delay demolition themselves, the Belleview Biltmore Resort & Spa might not be razed until August or later.

The town's 30-day waiting period to issue a demolition permit on the historic hotel expires on May 21, but the resort's owner, Urdang & Associates, must make sure all asbestos is removed from the resort before demolition can begin. It also must give Pinellas County's Department of Environmental Management 10 working days' notice before removing the asbestos, a process that can be tedious and time consuming.

And, once the removal is complete, owners must give the county an additional 10 days' notice before leveling the hotel.

As of Tuesday afternoon neither a notice nor a report describing the amount and location of asbestos in the structure had been submitted to the county.

Without the report, county officials don't know how much asbestos could be in the hotel. But considering the resort's size and age, they believe asbestos removal on the 820,000-square-foot, 108-year-old hotel could take weeks or months to complete.

"(Asbestos) was certainly much more prevalent all through the 1900s. Once it was identified as a great fire retardant and insulator, it was sprayed on all kinds of building materials," said Peter Hessling, Pinellas County's air quality division director.

Asbestos, the name for several fiber-forming minerals, was used in plumbing and pipe insulation because of its resistance to heat and chemicals. It was also a common component in floor and ceiling tiles, plaster wallboards and cores in fire doors, Hessling said.

Cross Construction Co. president Dwight Hopkins, whose company is in charge of the proposed demolition, said he doesn't know the level of asbestos on the property yet, but added it could take at least 60 days after an asbestos removal notice is filed to remove asbestos and have the site inspected by the county.

In 1971, the Environmental Protection Agency developed standards to protect the public from exposure to airborne contaminants such as asbestos. Federal regulations revised in 1990 control the release of asbestos fibers into the air during activities such as renovation and demolition.

Generally, asbestos fibers must be inhaled to be harmful so there is little risk when asbestos is undamaged or left alone, Hessling said. But asbestos removal is strictly regulated because disturbing asbestos-laden building materials can release fibers into the air.

Exposure to asbestos can cause cancers, such as lung cancer or a rare form of cancer called mesothelioma that can affect the protective lining of the lungs, chest and abdomen. It also can cause a noncancerous respiratory disease called asbestosis. Diseases caused by asbestos exposure can take 15 to 40 years to develop.

Regulations generally require that asbestos be kept wet during removal and disposed of at hazardous waste sites.

Belleair's 30-day waiting period after demolition applications are filed is mandated by the town so its historic preservation board can meet with property owners. The board functions only in an advisory capacity and cannot deny demolition permits. However, it often tries to convince property owners to save historic structures.

Meanwhile, preservationists are using an assortment of tactics to preserve the Biltmore. They've started a nonprofit organization called Friends of the Belleview Biltmore, and one group has offered more than $40-million for the property.

Officials also have discussed other possibilities to delay demolition, citing a variety of health and environmental concerns.

A historic preservation meeting has not been scheduled. However, a tentative meeting date was set for May 16, the day before the Town Commission's next regular meeting. A May 5 historic preservation board meeting was postponed because Town Attorney Joel Tew was removed from Biltmore-related issues before his resignation.

Lorri Helfand can be reached at 445-4155 or at lorri@sptimes.com

[Last modified May 11, 2005, 00:46:18]