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Council unanimously orders 8 Park Street secured, authorizes access agreement after buyer reports contract
Summary
Facing a dangerous-building finding at 8 Park Street, the council voted unanimously to padlock the property, assign keys to code enforcement and police for coordinated access, and directed staff to work with the city solicitor on a hold‑harmless agreement that the city manager may sign to allow limited access for repairs or inspections.
The Hallowell City Council voted unanimously to secure 8 Park Street after the code enforcement officer reported the property remains dangerous despite the former occupant moving out; the council also directed staff to pursue a waiver or hold‑harmless agreement to allow limited access during the transition to new ownership.
The code enforcement officer told council that the building’s former occupant has secured an apartment and that the city now has the responsibility to mitigate hazards and coordinate safe access. The officer recommended padlocking the structure and coordinating access between the owner (or their representative) and the city to prevent uncontrolled entry.
Councilors moved and passed a motion to padlock the building and give keys to the code enforcement officer and the police chief for coordinated access. A representative who said he is under contract to purchase the building next month asked the council to keep access flexible during his inspection period; the purchaser said he hopes to make repairs and complete closing within about six weeks.
Council then authorized the code enforcement officer to consult with the city solicitor and for the city manager to sign a hold‑harmless or limited access agreement that would allow selected parties to enter while protecting the city from liability. The motions passed unanimously.
The council’s actions secure the property immediately while giving staff authority to negotiate and document limited access once the new owner’s timeline is confirmed.
