Hearing on 555 Hurricane Street continued to May 21; owner to seek inspection and boarding

Hearing Officer Mark Lloyd continued a City of Franklin unsafe-building matter for 555 Hurricane Street to May 21, 2025, after the city’s building official, Clay Fulkerson, said the exterior work shows progress but staff have not been able to inspect the interior. Owner Steve Cox said he has made exterior repairs, is waiting for replacement windows, and asked about a previously charged $200 fee; the city reported that fee was for interim mowing services and is not reimbursable.

The issue matters because city staff could not confirm the condition of interior spaces, and the hearing record states interior hazards — “tons of junk” and obstructed walkways — present safety concerns. Fulkerson said he has “been kind of watching that” property and that the city needs interior access to determine whether the building meets safety requirements. He said the owner had not yet arranged the interior inspection the city requested.

Steve Cox, who said he operates Cox Tree Service, told the hearing he had repaired the exterior roof and doors and expected window orders to be filled by a contractor identified in the record as A and G Restoration. Cox said he had cut power to the building because the electrical box was hanging. He also said he had recently been out of town and is gradually removing stored items from the building; he described the interior as full of old furniture and workshop material and said “there's not a path in there.” Cox said he would try to arrange the interior inspection before the next hearing but did not promise a date for window replacement.

City staff confirmed that an address for the property — 555 Hurricane Street — was assigned on Jan. 20, 2025, and that the $200 charge reported by the owner related to mowing services performed during an interim period and was treated as an expenditure rather than a reimbursable fine. The hearing record notes that boarding the broken windows and doors so the building is sealed would be acceptable to allow staff to perform an interior inspection and potentially close the matter, pending inspection results.

The hearing was reset to continue at 2 p.m. on May 21, 2025, and city staff indicated they will attempt to schedule an interior inspection before that date. No formal vote was recorded; the record shows direction to arrange inspection and documentation related to the address and interim mowing charge.