Editorial: Destruction of the Riggs Heritage House a done deal?

At the work/study session of the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees on Monday, Sept. 19, and the regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 20, the status of the Riggs Heritage House was discussed.
Trustee candidate James Chapman pushed for a board member to make a motion to put off demolition of the house until after the newly elected board is in place. On Tuesday, Trustee Reggie Miller made that motion, but there was no support.
Township Supervisor Linda Combs said the contract for demolition has already been awarded and signed.
Trustee Miller asked if that meant nothing could be done and the house will be taken down and Supervisor Combs said yes, that was the case.
Wolverine Pipeline was on the agenda Tuesday to explain what was going on with the clearing of its pipeline right of way and installation of a second pipe and Chapman asked it if it wanted to get a good write-off by helping to save the house.
Members of the board objected to Chapman’s request, but Miller insisted it was not inappropriate and a citizen could say what he wanted at the podium. Chapman said he was concerned that the township had not had advice from a restoration service that could tell whether the building could be restored. He gave the board a printout of such services in Michigan. Is it too late to save the house?