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Stonewall council orders demolition of deteriorated home, approves property cleanups
Summary
Stonewall Town Council approved an ordinance to demolish the structure at 104 West Matthews and authorized contracted cleanup of a separate nuisance property at 300 Lee Street, citing long-standing code violations and owner inaction; council also approved routine equipment and appointment items.
The Stonewall Town Council on Jan. 6 voted to order demolition of a structurally unsound house at 104 West Matthews after the property owner failed to follow an earlier repair order. Councilman Shelton made the motion, Councilwoman Daisy Smith seconded it, and the measure carried by voice vote.
Code enforcement officer Eric Clem told council the property was served with a complaint in July, owners were notified and given 90 days to repair or demolish, and they have not completed the work. “This is the next step to enforcing y’all’s ordinance,” Clem said, describing prior notices and an unsuccessful plan to have the college use the structure for training.
The council also voted to proceed with a contracted cleanup at 300 Lee Street after the owner failed to respond to repeated notices. Staff presented a contractor bid of $850 to remove debris; council approved the cleanup and the town will recover costs from the property owner per ordinance procedures.
Council discussed the town’s minimum housing priority list and the budgetary limits that require case-by-case decisions on higher-cost demolitions. For larger or more complex cases the town will seek multiple bids and return to council for authorization.
Other actions that evening included approval of quotes for emergency vehicle repairs (chief-recommended vendor approved), and the appointment of Joe Rose as an alternate to the planning board and board of adjustment.
The council flagged asbestos and other safety constraints as reasons the town cannot use live fire training for demolition and said staff will continue to pursue compliance and cost recovery through the code enforcement process.
