The city has decided to have the derelict house at 1014 Alfred Street torn down after two complaints about the property over past couple of year.
The single-family home was built sometime before 1957 and is in terrible shape. A quick look at the home turns up rotting wood, missing siding, pealing paint, and a huge hole that leaves the crawlspace underneath the house open to the elements. The crawl space itself is also filled with debris and fallen insulation.
It also appears that the building has been abandoned. A small “for sale” sign hangs in the window, and property has been left in the driveway for people to take if they want it. The house is also completely empty and the lawn hasn’t been cut in weeks or even months.
The City’s building inspector found that the house was structurally unsound and in June sent two letters to the owners Allan MacDonald and Zoe Zentner warning them to either repair the house or City would likely have it torn down. Neither letter was responded to.
Late last month the fire chief visited the property and determined that the having the crawlspace open to the outside posed a fire risk to the surrounding houses.
“It is not uncommon for people to go underneath structures with openings like this and destroy more of the property or possibly set fires,” says the City’s corporate administrator, Rob Gordecki.
Upon hearing the report about the house, the council quickly voted to have it demolished within 30 days, which is expected to cost about $15,000, which will be charged to the owners, or recovered in a tax sale of the property.