Mixup nearly led to wrong house torn down
By Turner Walston
Published in News on June 14, 2006 1:47 PM
PIKEVILLE -- A mix-up nearly caused Pikeville officials to condemn the wrong house.
An abandoned house listed at 4597 U.S. 117 North had been found to violate the town's ordinance against nuisance structures. Conditions at the property were ripe for rodent infestation and posed a fire hazard, officials said.
But at a public hearing on whether to condemn the structure, William Day came forward to say that his house next door and not the one targeted for demolition was the real 4597.
Day said he went to the meeting to learn the fate of the property next door, and was surprised to learn it carried his address.
After some help from the county Planning Department, town officials realized the mix-up.
County Planning Director Connie Price said the confusion came about when the county created a numbering system for buildings and roads. The abandoned house should have been given a different number, he said.
Price said officials would visit the site to make sure the correct addresses are being used.
"At least they hadn't gone far enough to get the house torn down," Price said. "You talk about a bad day."