MONTGOMERY — Upset by the audacity of a man who illegally razed his landmark home this past spring, preservationists are working to prevent history from repeating itself.

        A new landmarks commission committee wants to research other communities to see how they would handle a Matt Kregel, who failed to apply for a demolition permit before taking a backhoe to his two-story, Greek Revival home.

        Fire had destroyed some of his home, and Mr. Kregel already had spent months trying to get permission from the landmarks commission to raze his garage.

        Because of his actions, he paid a $1,500 fine — $1,000 for razing the house and $500 for razing the garage. He moved to Florida, and could not be reached for comment.

        The new committee officially debuted Thursday at a 6 p.m. session at City Hall. In the next months, members will consider increasing the maximum $1,000 fine, and ordering landmark home demolishers to rebuild.

        They're open to ideas.

        “A willful demolishing should require rebuilding,” said Mary Lou Rose, a member of the committee and the Montgomery Historical Society. “It isn't how the house looks. It's how a house is built (that) reveals how these people lived. To think that you (once) had to build a house from a tree with no nails ...”

        Miss Rose has done some homework to save the city's remaining 30 landmark homes. For example, Columbus levies fines of $25,000 to $500,000 on those who illegally alter their historic property.

        Closer to home, the village of Mariemont mandates $500 fines for those who fail to maintain their homes. Mr. Kregel's case started them thinking. Years ago, he moved into the Mills-Hellman home on Cooper Road. The previous owner had volunteered the home, built more than 150 years ago, for the city's landmark program.

        Participation means that the city's landmarks commission must approve any exterior changes, which blocked Mr. Kregel's desire to raze the detached garage. Commissioners denied the request in January.

        Then fire struck in late February. A couple of weeks later, Mr. Kregel took control by razing the entire property.

        “It's a tough situation,” said Frank Davis, the city's community development director. “The question is, maybe we should toughen up the penalties. This community wants to see what it can do.

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