HomeMy Public PortalAbout04-08-1985 - Special Session rl9
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS AND SAFETY
OF THE CITY OF RICHMONID, INDIANA, APRIL 8, 1985
1 The Board of Public Works and Safety of the City of Richmond, Indiana, met in
2 special session April 8, 1985 at 9:15 A.M. in the Municipal Building in said
3 City. The purpose of the special session was for the continuation of an Unsafe
III 4 Building Hearing on Property located at 1532-1536-1540 East Main Street, Richmond,
5 Indiana. Ms. Maness presided with Mr. Brown and Ms. Silberstein in attendance.
6 The following business was had to-wit:
7
8 CONTINUATION OF AN UNSAFE BUILDING HEARING ON PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1532-1536-1540
9 EAST MAIN STREET
•10
11 Ms. Maness called the Unsafe Building Hearing to order. She stated that prior
12 determination had been made that all owners of record and persons with
13 substantial property interest had been properly notified.
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15 Ms. Maness requested Mr. Dennis Bronston to update the Board and other participants
16 of the status of the hearing.
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18 The Clerk administered the oath to give testimony to Mr. Dennis Bronston of the
19 Planning and Economic Development DepaLLuent of the City of Richmond. Mr. Bronston
20 told the Board that an order had been issued on March 11, 1985 to James & Dorothy
21 Logan, Vernon Dunaway, Diane Bates, Robert Neff and James Snyder. The order
22 specified that the removal of the buildings be accanplished within thirty days
23 of the receipt of the order. Mr. Bronston explained that the order was issued
24 due to fire damage to the structures. The premises have also been inspected
25 by the Richmond Fire Department and the Wayne County Health DepaLIntent and have
26 been declared unsafe and constitute a fire and health hazard.
27
III 28 The Clerk administered the oath to give testimony to Mr. Ralph Willis, Director
29 of Public Works for the City of Richmond. Mr. Willis told the Board that he
30 had made an inspection of the premises and that the buildings were not accessible
31 for an intense survey of structural damage due to debris and the insecurity of
32 the sub-flooring. He stated that the fire had burned the roof off of two thirds
33 (2/3) of the building and the beams would have to be removed and stabilized in
34 order to be fixed properly. Mr. Willis stated that with the amount of damage
35 to the structure he felt it would be more cost effective to raze the buildings,
36 backfill and replace the structures.
37
38 Ms. Maness asked Mr. Bronston when the thirty days started on the order issued
39 regarding the removal of the buildings. Mr. Bronston stated that they began
40 the thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of the last certified letter sent
41 to the owners of record. Mr. Bronston stated that the last date for a letter
42 to be received was March 18, 1985.
43
44 Ms. Maness requested any owners of record or persons with substantial property
45 interest to make their presentation to the Board.
46
47 The Clerk administered the oath to give testimony to Mr. Mervin Sheets of 32
48 Tillson Road. Mr. Sheets told the Board that he and his wife, Diane Bates Sheets,
49 have not received any information fran their insurance canpany regarding any
50 settlement on the fire damage to their property. Mr. Sheets stated that it was
51 their intention to tear down the existing buildings damaged by the fire except
52 for possibly the dining roan and the kitchen of the Elbow Roan. He thought that
III 53 this portion of the building might be salvageable and with the addition of
54 a slab building it could be used for a future business. Mr. Sheets requested
55 the Board for an extension of time to accomplish the demolition of the buildings.
56
57 Mr. Brown asked Mr. Sheets about the securing of the buildings and stated concern
58 that the buildings were not very well secured causing a safety hazard to persons
.59 around the structure.
60
61 Mr. Sheets explained that the boards have been nailed up several times and that
• 62 he has had merchandise stolen fran the property fran persons removing the boards
63 and entering the structures.
64
65 Ms. Maness stated that the concern of the Board of Works was for the residents
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Special Board of Works Minutes Cont'd
April 8, 1985
Page 2
1 of the area and the Board feels the property should have been secured better.
2
3 Ms. Silberstein commented that the rear of the property is readily accessible
4 and that buildings cannot be indefinately kept boarded up.
5
6 Mr. Bronston asked Mr. Sheets if he had contacted a demolition contractor and
7 Mr. Sheets stated that he had, but made no final arrangements awaiting the hearing
8 of the Board.
9
10 Ms. Maness asked Mr. Barden about the status of the of the Logans and Mr. Neff
11 and if they were able to record the deed to show the sale of the property. Mr.
12 Barden stated that he had been in contact with their attorney, Mr. Terry O'Maley,
13 and that they had located the deed in escrow, but were unable to record the deed
14 until today. They will forward a copy of the recorded deed to Mr. Barden.
15
16 Ms. Maness explained that the Board will still consider the Logans and Mr. Neff
17 as owners of record until they receive a copy of the recorded deed.
18
19 Mr. Willis suggsted to Mr. Sheets that the City Attorney could facilitate the
20 insurance settlement by asking that a sum of money be released for the demolition.
21
22 Mr. Sheets told the Board that as of yet he has not been informed if the
23 Fire Department or Police DepaiLiuent are through with their investigation of
24 the fire and he was told not to remove anything from the property until the
25 investigation was complete.
26
27 Ms. Maness read fran the minutes of March 28, 1985 where Assistant Fire Chief
28 Don Atkins stated that the investigation was complete and the property had been
29 released to the owners.
30
31 Ms. Maness asked Mr. Barden about the bill from the Street Department for cleaning
32 the area around the buildings. Mr. Barden said that this bill in the amount
33 of $149.68 for labor provided by the Street Department can be assessed against
34 the property owners as a lien.
35
36 Ms. Silberstein stated that the position of the Board was that a lot of time
37 had elapsed and that it appears that portions of the building could collapse.
38
39 Mr. Willis stated that the cost to repair the building could exceed the value
40 of the property. Mr. Willis said that an analitical survey of the building would
41 have to be done and filed with the Administrative Building Council in order for
42 Mr. Sheets to be allowed to salvage any portion of the building. Mr. Sheets
43 would also have to bring any remaining portion of the structures to code and
44 as a public building it would have to also be made handicapped accessible.
45
46 Ms. Silberstein moved to affirm the order issued pursuant to Chapter 98 of the
47 Code of Ordinances of the City of Richmond on unsafe premises located at 1532-
48 1536-1540 East Main Street for the removal of the buildings within thirty (30)
49 days of the last receipt of the order and amend the order to add that the building
50 be secured within twenty-four (24) hours of the hearing and that any part of •
51 the building certified to be structurally sound with the submission of plans
52 to the appropriate state agency with copies to the City Planning Department and
53 time tables included in the plans would stay the order against that portion of
54 the premises, seconded by Mr. Brown and on unanimous voice vote the motion was
55 carried.
56
57
58 Ms. Silberstein stated that the buildings must be secured by 9:45 A.M. on April
59 9, 1985 and the balance of the order must be completed by April 18, 1985.
60
61 Mr. Bronston will make an update on the order to the Board at the meeting of
62 April 11, 1985.
63
64 Mr. Bronston told the Board that plans for commercial buildings should be submitted
65 to the Fire Prevention and Building Safety Division of the State of Indiana.
71
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Special Board of Works Minutes Cont'd
April 8, 1985
Page3
1 Mr. Sheets told the Board that he sees no way to bring the building up to code
2 and all regulations required for handicapped accessibility. He also commented
3 on the plans the State Highway Commission has for the intersection on which his
4 business is located.
5
6 Ms. Maness informed Mr. Sheets that neither the plans of the Highway Commission
7 nor the accessibility requirements were a part of the considerations of the Board
8 in their consideration of this unsafe building hearing.
9
10 ADJCURNMENT
11
12 There being no further discussion, Ms. Maness adjourned the :unsafecbuilding hearing
13 on the consensus of the Board.
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15
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17 Cathy A. Maness, President
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19
20 ATTEST:
21 Mary Merchanthouse
22 City Clerk
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