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Haines Landing residents urge city to demolish long‑abandoned, fire‑damaged house
Summary
Residents of Haines Landing told the Johns Creek council that a fire‑damaged property has been an eyesore and safety hazard for about 3.5 years and asked the city to consider funding demolition and placing a lien to facilitate sale and redevelopment.
Haines Landing homeowners asked the Johns Creek City Council on Feb. 24 to allocate funds to demolish a fire‑damaged, long‑vacant house they said has blighted their neighborhood for roughly 3.5 years.
"Our beautiful neighborhood has been suffering by a plague ... of a property that was burned 3.5 years ago, and it still looks today the same way," Carrie Bickwit, president of the Haines Landing homeowners association, told the council. She said residents have repeatedly brought complaints to code enforcement and court and seek a path—potentially a city‑funded demolition with a lien—to allow the property to be sold and rebuilt.
Real estate agent Eric Martin of Robert Martin Associates told the council that, based on his review, the "numbers just don't pencil right now for an investor" and that a buyer would likely need the structure demolished before rebuilding. The city's attorney described a history of code enforcement, court appearances and criminal conduct tied to the owner and said the court has limited remedies; staff said they were pursuing "every available option" and would share additional information soon.
Council did not take immediate action other than to acknowledge receipt of the concerns and to have staff follow up; the mayor and city manager told residents staff would provide more detail in the near future.
