Washington unveils aggressive plan to raze dilapidated buildings
This vacant building at 144 S. Main St. in Washington is one of four properties city officials are considering demolishing.
Pieces of broken ceramic tiles lay near the sidewalk after falling off this dilapidated building on South Main Street in Washington.
Washington officials are moving forward with an aggressive plan to demolish several dilapidated buildings, including two deteriorating structures along the city’s Main Street, as they try to remove blight and spur development.
City Council heard testimony from affected property owners during a public hearing Monday afternoon as it ponders whether to begin the demolition process for four properties that have been vacant for years.
“This is the city attacking blight and dilapidated properties,” Washington Mayor Brenda Davis said after the public hearing. “We’re no longer going to tolerate the threat to the safety and well-being of the city’s residents.”
No action was taken during the hearing, but the council could vote on the fate of the four properties at Thursday night’s agenda meeting that declare the buildings a public nuisance and set in motion the demolition process that could take about two months. It was not known how much demolitions would cost, though money would be paid use money from the Washington County Redevelopment Authority’s Community Development Block Grant. Davis said this was just the beginning and more properties would be targeted in the future.
Not everyone greeted the initial plans to raze the structures with open arms. Tripp Kline of South Franklin said he questioned why the property at 144 S. Main St., which is located next to the Observer-Reporter’s office building, is on the list and if the loss of its ornate façade would lead to the development of “something that is not in line with the streetscape” along Main Street.
“That’s a property that is a focus of the Main Street corridor,” Kline said. “Bigger than tearing a building down, what’s the future for that space?”
Code Enforcement Officer Ron McIntyre said the building is creating a dangerous situation for pedestrians. Numerous ceramic tiles have fallen off the side and can be seen scattered near the front door.
“That’s the concern for us, items falling off the building and hitting pedestrians,” McIntyre said.
City Solicitor Jack Cambest, who led the public hearing, said both safety and redevelopment are components of the process. He added the property owners are deceased.
“The ultimate goal … is not to look at taking down individual properties and let those lots sit there, but to look at area so in the future, once they’re demolished and acquired, a developer would be interested in coming in to develop that property to make Main Street a better place,” Cambest said.
Another building at 160 N. Main St. came under less scrutiny when the neighboring property owner’s lawyer, Thomas Lonich, rattled off several safety and structural issues with the three-story brick building. He added the owner lives in Australia and has made no attempts to fix the building and feared it could collapse on neighboring structures.
“It is clear it’s a danger to the health, safety and wellness of the city’s residents,” Lonich said.
The two other properties are located in the city’s Highland-Ridge neighborhood. Cambest announced the home at 302 Ridge Ave. has already been razed. The other home at 256 Linn Ave. has been vacant for several years has broken windows, crumbling walls and overgrown grass.
Tonna Parker, who lives nearby, said she’s worried about what might happen if it’s not demolished immediately.
“I’ve slowly watched it deteriorate. I’m afraid if a strong wind comes, there’s no foundation on the backside,” Parker said. “It’s a mess. It’s really horrible for me to have to like that. It’s unacceptable.”
Owners whose properties are deemed a public nuisance and slated for demolition can raze the structures themselves or allow the city to use the development block grant money. A lien would then be placed against the parcel and any buyer would have to repay the costs, or it could be sold through the new City Development Corp.