Forsyth County staff seek authority to demolish dilapidated dwelling at 9001 Broad Street

Forsyth County's Community and Economic Development staff asked commissioners on March 10 to place an ordinance on the March 13 agenda that would order removal of a vacant residential dwelling at 9001 Broad Street after repeated inspections found the structure unfit for human habitation.

Ashley Penley, community and economic development staff, told the board the property has been under complaint-based inspection since 2020. "We determined that the dwelling was unfit for human habitation and the repairs we required to bring the home up to code exceeded 60% of the structure's value," Penley said, and she said the housing administrator issued an order to demolish and filed a lis pendens in November 2023.

Penley said staff has focused on vacant dwellings that have been designated "unfit and dilapidated" and noted the county completed multiple inspections documenting structural roof failure, interior ceiling collapse and a lack of utility connections. She said the county's minimum housing code was updated in 2019 and that enforcement aims to "promote safe and healthy communities."

Penley told commissioners that a consent order reached in February 2025 acknowledged the dwelling is unfit and set a deadline for the partial owner to demolish the structure by April 20. She said county staff would allow masonry foundation and connected concrete slabs of the partially demolished property to remain "for the ease of future development." Penley also said that if an owner fails to complete demolition the ordinance would give the county authority to complete the demolition "through the proper procurement and environmental testing standards."

Steve Smith, an attorney representing East Jeff LLC (a partial owner), told the board he recently visited the occupant and said the person had been injured in a traffic accident and was hospitalized. Smith said his client, which owns roughly 98% of the parcel, has attempted to coordinate demolition but was constrained by site safety because someone was living in a makeshift camper or trailer on the parcel. Smith said his client has applied for the necessary permits and has been pursuing court processes required to obtain possession and safely remove the structure.

Commissioners asked whether the occupant retained any ownership interest; Smith confirmed the occupant holds about a 2% interest and said the property was placed for auction during a partition proceeding. Smith said both parties received proceeds from that sale, but legal and administrative costs reduced the net amounts received.

County staff said the ordinance will be on the March 13 agenda. The briefing did not record a board vote; staff described the action as an order that the county manager and Community and Economic Development may pursue on the board's upcoming agenda if the owner fails to meet the consent order deadline.