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Hot Springs board condemns house at 101 Montreal, delays decisions on two other blighted properties
Summary
The Hot Springs Board of Directors voted Oct. 20 to condemn and demolish a deteriorated house at 101 Montreal Street, while tabling decisions on properties at 229 Bluff Street and 210 Walter Street to Dec. 16 to allow family members time to pursue title and repairs.
The Hot Springs Board of Directors voted Oct. 20 to adopt a resolution declaring the single-family structure at 101 Montreal Street a public nuisance and ordering it removed, and tabled separate condemnation resolutions for properties at 229 Bluff Street and 210 Walter Street until the board's Dec. 16 business meeting.
City neighborhood services staff told the board the Montreal Street property's owners, Jacqueline Hill and Peggy West, requested city removal after a title search showed the estate of a deceased prior owner had not been probated. Neighborhood services manager James Hardage said family members removed siding and doors, further damaging the building and increasing public-safety risk. The board's motion to adopt the resolution declaring the structure a nuisance passed on a roll-call vote with all directors voting yes.
The two other condemnations drew public comment and more discussion. At a hearing on 229 Bluff Street, resident Adrienne Knowles said she has been paying taxes, has family ties to the house and is working with an attorney to obtain title. Knowles told the board she could not complete title work immediately because one heir is not contactable and an attorney required additional funds. Hardage told the board the structure is presently secured but has holes under it and long-standing deterioration dating to the late 1990s. To give Knowles time to pursue title and to ensure the structure remains secured, the board voted to table the item to Dec. 16.
At the hearing on 210 Walter Street, staff reported recurring calls about a squatter at the house, recent reports of tampering with the property's water meter and two years of delinquent property taxes. Barbara Crom (appearing as Barbara Jean Crom in public comment) described family efforts to place the property in her name and said she planned to repair the roof and address interior damage if title were transferred. Citing the safety risks and the family's stated intent to seek title, the board also agreed to rehear that case on Dec. 16.
Why it matters: Condemnation and demolition orders remove structures the city says pose immediate public-safety risks. For properties still tied up in probate or title disputes, tabling gives heirs time to seek title and make repairs while preserving the city's ability to return later to order removal if repairs or title transfer do not occur.
Board actions and context: Resolution R-25-190 (101 Montreal) was adopted after Hardage's staff report; the motion to adopt was moved by Director Trustee, seconded by Director Webb, and passed by unanimous roll-call vote. Resolution R-25-191 (229 Bluff) and Resolution R-25-192 (210 Walter) were initially placed before the board, received public comment and staff reports, and were tabled to Dec. 16 at the board's request so prospective heirs could pursue title or financing. The board heard evidence that neighborhood and public-safety concerns (openings, structural deterioration, reports of unauthorized entry, and tampering with utility meters) motivated the staff's recommendation to demolish if no viable owner intervention occurred.
What officials said: "I would like to see it brought back in 60 days," Director Dudley Webb said during the Bluff Street discussion, urging a period for the speaker to pursue probate processes. Resident Adrienne Knowles told the board, "I was hoping they could live there. My family's been on that bluff for close to 80 years." Barbara Crom said of 210 Walter Street: "The house has been in my family for many, many years'I'd like to restore it and keep it in the family." Mayor Pat McCabe and staff offered to connect speakers with the attorney handling title questions and to check security measures while the items are pending.
Next steps: The board scheduled both 229 Bluff Street and 210 Walter Street to return to the board on Dec. 16 for status updates on title efforts, repairs, tax payments and any outstanding public-safety concerns. If owners or heirs do not resolve title or safety issues, the board retains authority to adopt formal demolition orders at a later meeting.
