City moves to demolish deteriorating house
NORWICH – After considering other options on the table during a special meeting of the Common Council, the city made the decision to move forward with the demolition of a house located at 17 1/2 King St., a property that officials cited as being uninhabitable, unsafe and extensively deteriorated.
According to reports submitted from the city’s code enforcement office, estimated costs to demolish the property top more than $17,000. The amount will be funded under the Community Development Small Cities Fund. Safety and health inspections revealed damage to the structure’s foundation, a roof in disrepair, and interior and exterior walls in need of substantial work.
Codes Enforcement Officer Jason Lawrence presented the council with an asbestos-finding report for the house, which means special oversight is needed in the demolition process. The council accepted a proposal from Atlantic Environmental Consulting LLC of Endwell to monitor activities required for the demolition and clearance of the structure, including the foundation. Burrell’s Excavating of Norwich is signing an agreement to carry out the work.
The city made an attempt to sell the property earlier this year. Request for Proposal forms were made available to potential buyers, but generated no interest. “It’s a depleted structure that no one has taken care of for years. No one wants to invest in it,” Lawrence said.
“It’s one of those properties that you just can’t do much with,” Mayor Joseph Maiurano said, calling the house a “nuisance property.” “The longer it sits there, the more of a nuisance it will become,” he said.
Adding to the nuisance, the house is repeatedly invaded by local youth, Lawrence said. “The police have responded there numerous times. We keep it boarded up but it’s always vandalized,” he said. “We’ve gotten numerous complaints about the house, even before we acquired it. The neighbors want something done with it right away ... It’s something that not only needs to be done for the safety of the neighbors, but the safety of the neighborhood.”
While no deals are in place as of yet, hopes are that the soon-to-be vacant lot will be purchased by a neighboring homeowner. The home directly in front of the blighted property is for sale, noted Maiurano. One potential goal of the city is to recoup some of the costs by selling the lot to the buyer of the home, and although Maiurano acknowledged the unlikelihood of seeing a return in the amount invested in the demolition and removal project, surrounding home values might go up as a result. “I think it’s better to rejuvenate the neighborhood now, then move forward,” he said.
Said Lawrence, “This is going to benefit the entire neighborhood. If you invest in the neighborhoods, the investment will be returned through neighbors investing in their own properties.”
No definitive date has yet been given for the demolition.
According to reports submitted from the city’s code enforcement office, estimated costs to demolish the property top more than $17,000. The amount will be funded under the Community Development Small Cities Fund. Safety and health inspections revealed damage to the structure’s foundation, a roof in disrepair, and interior and exterior walls in need of substantial work.
Codes Enforcement Officer Jason Lawrence presented the council with an asbestos-finding report for the house, which means special oversight is needed in the demolition process. The council accepted a proposal from Atlantic Environmental Consulting LLC of Endwell to monitor activities required for the demolition and clearance of the structure, including the foundation. Burrell’s Excavating of Norwich is signing an agreement to carry out the work.
The city made an attempt to sell the property earlier this year. Request for Proposal forms were made available to potential buyers, but generated no interest. “It’s a depleted structure that no one has taken care of for years. No one wants to invest in it,” Lawrence said.
“It’s one of those properties that you just can’t do much with,” Mayor Joseph Maiurano said, calling the house a “nuisance property.” “The longer it sits there, the more of a nuisance it will become,” he said.
Adding to the nuisance, the house is repeatedly invaded by local youth, Lawrence said. “The police have responded there numerous times. We keep it boarded up but it’s always vandalized,” he said. “We’ve gotten numerous complaints about the house, even before we acquired it. The neighbors want something done with it right away ... It’s something that not only needs to be done for the safety of the neighbors, but the safety of the neighborhood.”
While no deals are in place as of yet, hopes are that the soon-to-be vacant lot will be purchased by a neighboring homeowner. The home directly in front of the blighted property is for sale, noted Maiurano. One potential goal of the city is to recoup some of the costs by selling the lot to the buyer of the home, and although Maiurano acknowledged the unlikelihood of seeing a return in the amount invested in the demolition and removal project, surrounding home values might go up as a result. “I think it’s better to rejuvenate the neighborhood now, then move forward,” he said.
Said Lawrence, “This is going to benefit the entire neighborhood. If you invest in the neighborhoods, the investment will be returned through neighbors investing in their own properties.”
No definitive date has yet been given for the demolition.
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