Residents tell council deteriorating rear wall at 205 Oak Street threatens alley and adjacent building

During the public comment period at the March 11 Sweetwater City Council meeting, two residents identified as Mr. Cherry and Mrs. Cherry raised urgent safety concerns about a deteriorating building behind 205 Oak Street in downtown Sweetwater.

Mrs. Cherry said the building’s rear brick wall is ‘‘protruding outward’’ and that portions already have fallen. ‘‘It’s definitely coming across the alley and just feel like it is at this point, we feel something needs to be done, or it will certainly damage the property,’’ she told the council. She said the wall could strike a telephone pole or fall across the alley and hit the adjacent building.

Mr. Cherry said the structure is vacant and that back taxes are owed. He urged the council to take steps to prevent property damage and possible injury. ‘‘It’s going to fall,’’ he said, describing the wall as ‘‘bowing pretty bad’’ and noting recent and forecast winds.

A city staff member responded during the same public comment period that staff has information on the property but, because the matter was delivered as public comment and not an agenda item, the council could not debate it at the meeting. The staff member said, ‘‘What we can do is prepare a memo and send that out to the council as far as where we are on this item.’’

The transcript does not record any directive beyond staff’s offer to prepare a memo nor does it show council action or a formal timeline for abatement or repair. No owner status beyond ‘‘vacant’’ and the existence of back taxes was recorded in the public comment; the council did not vote or take immediate enforcement action during the meeting.