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East Ridge housing commission delays enforcement on 5006 Delaware Drive, schedules 30-day review
Summary
The East Ridge Housing Commission postponed action on 5006 Delaware Drive and asked the property owner to return with progress photos and cleanup plans at the Aug. 13 meeting; staff will monitor and address any code violations in the interim.
The East Ridge Housing Commission postponed enforcement on a derelict property at 5006 Delaware Drive and directed staff to review progress in 30 days.
The decision came after Cynthia Sutherland, who described herself as representing the family that owns the house, told the commission she and relatives have been cleaning the interior after a police referral and said bathrooms and the kitchen were cleaned. Miss Torrey, a code enforcement officer, told the commission the house had “extremely unsanitary conditions on the interior” when the case was referred but that Sutherland has begun cleaning and that no one is currently living in the house.
Commission members said the interior remediation is the immediate priority. “I would make a motion to bring you back in 30 days to see the progress based on your testimony and what you're gonna continue to do,” Chairperson Davis said while moving the item to the commission’s Aug. 13 docket. The motion passed on a unanimous roll call: Vice Chairperson Souder, Commissioners Myers, Thompson and Vallone, and Chairperson Davis voted yes.
Code enforcement staff said the property was not condemned during the inspection; the inspector reported power and water were connected and that she did not observe life‑threatening structural damage. Sutherland said some rooms have already been cleared and that she and family members worked over the preceding weekend. Staff also said there is a pop‑up camper and a shed in the backyard but that police had cleared those areas and that no one remains living there.
The commission instructed staff to verify exterior cleanup progress before the next meeting and indicated Miss Holder from code enforcement would address any outstanding violations discovered during follow‑up inspections. Sutherland said she had secured the house by boarding windows and changing locks and expected to continue regular trips from Nashville to work on the property.
If the commission finds code violations unresolved when it reconvenes Aug. 13, members said they may resume enforcement. For now the case is postponed to allow the owner time to continue interior cleanup and to arrange for exterior work and removal of disabled vehicles.
The commission opened the meeting by approving minutes from its June 11 meeting; that vote occurred before the Delaware Drive discussion and is recorded in the meeting minutes.
