The East Ridge Housing Commission met Monday night at City Hall and continued to grapple with issues of dilapidated properties.
The owner of a house that was ordered demolished by the city at 400 Donaldson Road was given an additional 30 days in which to hire a contractor to raze the structure, which is being used for storage by owner Sharon Buquo. Buquo had appeared before the commission in June and was given an extension at that time.
During Monday’s meeting, Buquo said that she had hired a contractor to do the job but discovered he was not licensed in Tennessee. Buquo said she is in the process of finding a state licensed contractor to perform the work.
The housing commission closed the case against the owner of an unkempt property at 1603 South Seminole Drive. Officials said the owner, Ora Powell, had sufficiently cleaned up her property to come within the law, which included draining a swimming pool filled with stagnant water and covering it.
The odyssey of a dilapidated home at 3412 Bennett Rd. continues. Owner Ronald Johnson, who is disabled, did not appear before the commission. He and members of his family have appeared before the housing commission in May and June. Codes enforcement officers had condemned the house and noted that it was virtually falling down with possible severe foundation issues. The commission ordered Johnson to have a structural engineer assess the foundation and write a report about whether or not the house could be saved.
Johnson was given 10 days to provide the structural engineering report to the building inspection office. Commissioner Jim Winters will draft a letter to be sent to the Johnson family.
Codes enforcement had cited a house at 3707 Connelly Lane for multiple violations. The owner, Carolyn Smith, did not show up for the commission meeting. According to city documents the house is crumbling with inadequate load bearing walls, and has an abundance of trash and debris in the yard that constitutes a health hazard. The document also states that the building is a fire hazard.
The commission gave Smith 10 days in which to respond to the building inspector’s office. If there is no response the house will be demolished by the city and a lien placed against the property.
