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Decatur commission hears update on deteriorating house at 605 N. Arthur; owner given until May 20
Summary
The Decatur Building Standards Commission received an update on the condition of a property at 605 North Arthur Street and was told the owner — Keith Dawson — indicated he would move forward with demolition, commission members said.
The Decatur Building Standards Commission received an update on the condition of a property at 605 North Arthur Street and was told the owner — Keith Dawson — indicated he would move forward with demolition, commission members said. The commission set a compliance timeline that runs through May 20 and said it will bring the case back if the owner does not make sufficient progress.
Rick Denny, staff member, told the commission he inspected the Arthur Street house and found only limited cleanup: "there's he's moved some of the things or somebody has moved some of the things around in the house, and it looks like they may have cleaned up a little bit, but it's not a very noticeable difference," Denny said. He said some scrap and other items appear to have been hauled off but that the structure itself showed no improvement.
Commission member Mr. Smith said he had spoken with property owner Keith Dawson after the prior meeting and that Dawson "said that he would be moving forward with demolishing this property." Smith added Dawson had discussed other properties he owns and said he had considered selling the Arthur Street lot to make it more attractive.
Commission members discussed zoning limits for the lot. Smith reminded the commission that the parcel is zoned for single-family residential use and therefore would not permit a storage-only structure. Smith said the owner mentioned possibly building a barn for storage but that zoning would not allow a nonresidential storage use on the lot.
Commission staff flagged another long-running case at 503 West Ward Street that began Aug. 29, 2023. Staff said that the Ward Street house remains in poor condition; the owner has kept the lot mowed but has not substantially addressed the structure. Staff said larger projects elsewhere delayed work on the Ward Street case but that it will probably be the next property pursued.
Officials reviewed the enforcement process. Staff explained that if owners do not achieve compliance staff will bring the matter before the Building Standards Commission to determine next steps, which may include fines, orders to repair to current code, or an order to demolish a dangerous structure. If the commission orders demolition and the owner does not act, staff said the city can perform the work and place a lien on the property.
The commission said it will review updates at a Building Standards Commission meeting scheduled for April 16, 2025. If property owners do not make sufficient progress by the board's established timelines, staff will return the cases for potential orders of demolition.
Votes at a glance: - Motion to approve minutes for Oct. 21, 2024: motion by Mr. Mohammed, second Mr. Davey; recorded as passing 5-0. - Motion to approve minutes for Feb. 19, 2025: motion by Mr. Davey, second Mr. Gillespie; motion recorded as passed (vote tally not specified in the transcript).
