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Lewiston Council ratifies emergency order and authorizes demolition process for unsafe 54 Knox St.
Summary
After inspections found fire hazards, missing detectors and a single means of egress, the council ratified an Aug. 8 emergency determination and adopted findings and a demolition/rehab order for the rear portion of 54 Knox St., authorizing the city to act if the owner fails to complete a rehabilitation plan within the ordered timeframe.
The Lewiston City Council on Oct. 21 ratified a prior emergency determination and adopted a formal order to address a dangerous building at 54 Knox Street after inspectors described conditions that they said posed an immediate threat to public safety.
Planning and code enforcement officials and the fire department told the council that the rear portion of the four‑story structure lacked a safe second means of egress, had missing smoke detectors, compromised fire barriers (holes in ceilings and walls), exposed live wiring and evidence of recent unauthorized habitation. Fire Inspector Charlie Jordan testified that the building’s design allows a single fire to block both egress paths and spread rapidly through multiple vertical and horizontal openings.
The council first affirmed a director’s…
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