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Board affirms unsafe-building order at 351 North Line Street
Summary
The Columbia City Works & Safety board unanimously affirmed an enforcement order for 351 North Line Street, requiring repairs to a collapsed basement wall and other conditions or demolition by June 29. The owner has contracted an excavator and staff will monitor compliance before the deadline.
The Columbia City Works & Safety board unanimously affirmed an enforcement order on May 12 requiring either repairs to 351 North Line Street or demolition of the structure by June 29.
Craig Wagner, chief building inspector for the Whitley County Planning and Building Department, told the board the property had a prior permit but work stopped after the owner accused the original contractor of taking his money. Wagner said the house has been vacant, with broken windows and a collapsed section of basement wall, and that the department issued an order giving the owner two options: “either fix the basement wall, windows and doors and such, get the house back into livable condition or demolish it by June the 29th,” Wagner said.
Wagner reported the owner (identified in the meeting as Mr. Menberger) has since taken control of the project and provided a contract with a local excavator stating demolition will be completed by June 29; Wagner recommended the board affirm the department’s order so the timeline and enforcement authority are on record. The chair moved to affirm the planning and building department’s order; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously.
Board members discussed demolition standards briefly, clarifying that the structure must be removed to ground level and that basement material should be removed or appropriately backfilled to make the lot constructible. Wagner noted the department retained legal options if work is incomplete as the June deadline approaches and said staff would add meeting minutes to the file and continue tracking compliance.
The board did not record a roll-call tally by name in the transcript; the motion passed with unanimous voice approval at the meeting. The department and the owner will proceed under the affirmed enforcement order, with staff expected to inspect progress in the weeks before the June 29 deadline.
Next steps: staff will tabulate compliance, maintain the enforcement file and return to the board if demolition or repair work is not completed as ordered. The board’s action leaves the enforcement timeline and remedies in place pending completion or further legal action.
