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Norwalk declares basement unit at 144 Point Street "unfit"; owner fails to appear for hearing
Summary
Norwalk staff cited 144 Point Street for an illegal basement apartment posted unfit by the fire marshal and health department; the basement was vacated but the owner did not attend the Jan. 29 hearing and the case was continued for further enforcement.
At a Jan. 29 citation hearing, Norwalk staff told the panel that a basement apartment at 144 Point Street was posted unfit for occupancy by the fire marshal and the health department and that zoning enforcement sent a notice of violation after the referrals.
Hearing officer Gary Olbers said city records show the fire marshal first reported an illegal and unsafe basement apartment and that staff sent a notice to the owner on Nov. 27, 2024; constable service located the owner in mid-December. Olbers said the fire marshal and health department inspected and that the basement was later vacated, but the owner did not appear for a scheduled meeting on Jan. 15.
Olbers described the fire marshal's photographic documentation of subterranean bedrooms with no adequate egress or ventilation and the health department's "unfit for occupancy" posting. "We're not risking somebody getting burned to death," Olbers said when explaining why the unit is considered unsafe.
Staff told the hearing they followed up with the owner but found no remedial work completed by Jan. 17; they mailed a citation on Jan. 22. The matter was continued for further enforcement and will return to a hearing roster; Olbers indicated the city can pursue daily fines for continued noncompliance. The hearing record includes the fire marshal and health department postings and inspection photos showing the basement condition.
Olbers asked staff to continue coordination with the fire marshal and to schedule the next enforcement check before the continued hearing date.
