Council authorizes 30‑day remediation negotiation for 201 Colony Drive after property owner cites medical incapacitation

The Enterprise City Council voted to authorize the city administrator to negotiate a remediation agreement with the owner of 201 Colony Drive, Apartments 14–17, rather than immediately proceed with demolition.

City Attorney Ben Goldman recommended the council rescind the prior demolition order because the property owner, Danielle Moore, submitted medical substantiation showing she was incapacitated during the notice period. Goldman said the city received a doctor’s certification indicating that Moore was incapacitated from Oct. 21 through Dec. 27, which overlapped the notice that initiated the demolition process.

Nut graf: the resolution gives the city administrator authority to pursue a remediation agreement for 30 days; if the administrator cannot reach an agreement the matter may be reinitiated and will return to the council as part of a later round of demolition hearings.

Moore, the property owner, addressed the council in person and asked for time to repair and restore the four-unit building. “Structurally, it is strong,” Danielle Moore said. She told the council she had been medically hospitalized and recently discharged from a skilled‑nursing facility and said she has a contractor ready to make the repairs.

Goldman and city staff described significant structural and safety issues that must be addressed if the property is remediated. Staff presented photographic evidence showing long‑term roof exposure, water intrusion into wall cavities, decay of interior (untreated) wood members and debris on roof surfaces. Engineering staff said the building has party‑wall construction and that state law requires stamped architectural plans and that any work over $10,000 on a residential remodel must be done by a licensed home builder. Staff said the private drive that provides access to the units is in poor condition and would complicate emergency access and utility work.

Councilmember Green moved to adopt Resolution 30425, which authorizes — but does not require — the city administrator to enter into a remediation agreement with the owner for 30 days; the motion passed after a second. The resolution specifies that if no agreement is reached the city may reissue lis pendens and reinitiate demolition proceedings, which would be scheduled alongside other pending demolition items.

The council’s action preserves the city’s ability to seek demolition if remediation is not successful, while permitting a short, defined negotiation period intended to give the owner an opportunity to pursue repairs.

Staff and the city attorney said that any remediation plan would have to include architect‑stamped plans, a licensed home‑builder contractor (Alabama Home Builders Board requirements) and inspections to ensure structural and fire‑separation code compliance before units could again be occupied.