Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Building Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Leavenworth commission gives property owners 90 days to repair or remove three fire-damaged structures
Summary
The Leavenworth City Commission declared three fire-damaged properties unsafe and approved a resolution giving owners 90 days from publication to make them safe or face administrative action, including possible demolition.
The Leavenworth City Commission voted unanimously to declare three fire-damaged structures unsafe and give the owners 90 days from the date of publication of the resolution to make the properties safe and secure or face administrative action, including potential demolition.
The resolution names the properties at 224 Miami Street, 1425 Grand Avenue and 1933 Miami Street and directs city staff to take necessary steps if owners do not meet the deadline. The commission’s action followed a public hearing in which owners and staff described repair plans and permitting status.
City staff told the commission that 224 Miami Street’s owner, identified in the hearing as Mister Culbertson, said he had recently settled an insurance claim and that dumpsters were on site; he estimated repairs would take about 90 days and acknowledged that multiple building permits (plumbing, electrical, framing) would be required. Marissa Magana, representing 1425 Grand Avenue, told the commission her contractor was engaged and that the plan was demolition and rebuild, though timing depended on architectural plans. Staff reported that 1933 Miami Street had a permit issued for repairs the prior Friday.
City counsel and staff explained that the resolution authorizes staff to determine when a property is “safe and not dangerous” and, if not remedied within the timeline, to proceed administratively without returning to the governing body for every follow-up step. During discussion commissioners and staff said 90 days is a typical and reasonable period for demolition or securing a structure; if owners planned to save portions of a building and await drawings, the work could take longer.
A motion to approve Resolution B-23-95 (extension for repair or removal) carried with aye votes from the mayor, mayor pro tem and commissioners present. The resolution text adopted by the commission was edited in the meeting so that the properties “are hereby given 90 days from the date of publication of this resolution in order to make the property safe and secure.”
The commission’s action directs staff to pursue demolition or other remedies if owners do not meet the deadline and authorizes staff to grant administrative extensions where appropriate. The resolution sets the administrative mechanism and timeline; it does not appropriate funds for demolition in the text discussed during the meeting.
Commissioners and staff said owners who reported they were pursuing permits or demolition would continue through the normal building- or demolition-permit processes; if demolition is completed, rebuilding would proceed through the standard building-permit review.
