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Hutchinson council condemns five vacant residential structures, authorizes abatement process
Summary
After a public hearing, the council adopted resolutions finding five properties unsafe or dangerous and authorized repair or demolition orders, setting the 60‑day process to notify owners and carry out abatement as required by city code.
The City Council adopted resolutions condemning five residential properties deemed unsafe and dangerous after the building official presented inspection findings showing prolonged disrepair, code violations and chronic vacancy.
Building official Jason Lady told council the properties at 419 E Avenue A, 1526 E 2nd Avenue, 224 E 3rd Avenue, 213 E 8th Avenue and 526 W Avenue have repeated property‑maintenance code violations, have been boarded because of vacancy and squatters, show structural deterioration, and have delinquent taxes and no active utilities. Lady said owners were notified by certified mail and in many cases delivery attempts were returned.
"Formal adoption of these resolutions will authorize the city to move forward with further enforcement actions including demolition as necessary," Lady told the council, citing Hutchinson City Code 21‑701 and the city’s unsafe‑and‑dangerous buildings code.
Council action: After a public hearing and questions about due‑process notification methods, the council voted to approve the resolutions condemning the properties and authorized the mayor to sign. Staff said the next steps include posting, additional owner notification as required, and a 60‑day process before abatement or demolition could proceed.
What to watch: Owners or other interested parties may pursue remediation during the 60‑day period, request extensions, or raise legal objections. Staff said they will retrace certified‑mail evidence and will pause if due‑process steps were missed.
