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Council holds public hearing on 2021 Sherman Avenue dangerous-structure declaration; action deferred to evening meeting
Summary
Council heard staff and expert testimony that 2021 Sherman Avenue is unsafe and postponed a resolution declaring it a dangerous structure to the council's 7 p.m. session to allow the owner/contractor to continue work and for staff follow-up.
The North Bend City Council opened a public hearing on May 27 to consider declaring the structure at 2021 Sherman Avenue a dangerous building under city code (referenced in the packet as NBC NVMC 15 o 8). The council took testimony from staff, fire-safety officials and a possible purchaser, then continued the item to the council’s 7 p.m. session rather than vote immediately.
Staff said inspections by the city and the Deputy State Fire Marshal found multiple hazards: exposed electrical connections, evidence of illegal residential occupancy on upper and basement floors, missing or degraded windows allowing water intrusion, and structural deterioration. The city’s building official and deputy state fire marshal were in the audience and available to answer council questions.
Owner/contractor Kevin Leina told council he and his company hold the property under contract and have already installed a temporary shoring post and pulled a permit to replace a cracked second-floor beam. Leina said an engineer’s report on file concluded the building did not imminently need demolition and that major structural members on-site would be replaced. “We do have an inspection report from an engineer that it is not a dangerous building,” Leina said.
Fire and building staff emphasized that structural repair is only one part of the dangerous-structure criteria. The deputy state fire marshal described life-safety concerns for building occupants and firefighters, citing open exterior walls and missing egress elements that could accelerate fire spread and endanger responders.
Staff said the city had issued an earlier notice and had set a May 9 deadline for permits; no permit had been obtained by that date. After subsequent outreach, Leina applied for a permit on May 21 and reported ongoing work. Staff described the city’s standard timeline for remediation: 30 days to obtain permits with a plan, and 180 days to perform repairs, with extensions granted when progress is shown.
Because the council meeting combined a work session and council meeting, staff asked that the formal resolution action be deferred to the evening 7 p.m. session; the council closed public testimony and agreed to take up the resolution at the later meeting. Staff and council members stated that declaring the property a dangerous structure does not prevent repair or transfer of ownership; it establishes a time-stamped remediation timeline that remains with the property.
