City Council condemns two houses; neighbors oppose rezoning
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on August 24, 2006 1:45 PM
The Goldsboro City council held six public hearings at its meeting this week and approved two of three building condemnations recommended by the Building Inspections Department.
Council members also discussions on a formal bid request for the purchase of a heavy-duty wheel loader.
The condemned houses are located at 405 Mulberry St. and 2108 Church St. The third dwelling, located at 1210 Evans St. was spared from action.
Dilapidated conditions and little attention to fixing problems identified by inspectors ultimately led to the condemnations of the other dwellings, Chief Building Inspector Ed Cianfarra said.
The 405 Mulberry Street home, owned by Paul Bridgers Jr. is currently occupied by a family despite a badly leaking roof and "extremely dangerous lead paint levels," he added.
"Those paint levels are so high, if we were to demolish that house, the ground around the exterior of the home would have to be removed," Cianfarra said. "Just like a chemical spill."
Council members approved the condemnation request, but granted Bridgers an extension if certain criteria are met. Within 10 days, he is responsible for posting a cash bond for the cost of lead paint removal and demolition, must apply for a building permit and pay all back-taxes owed on the property, Cianfarra said.
The other condemned dwelling, located at 2108 Church Street, will be demolished "within the next 30 days," he added. A rotting porch, deteriorating seals and caving ceilings were among the problems identified by inspectors, Cianfarra said.
In other business:
*Neighbors in the Country Day Road area spoke out against potential rezoning of property located on the east side of the road, between Patetown Road and Wheeler Drive. Changing the property from R-16 to R-9 would "destroy the character of the neighborhood," some said. Others worried that their "peace and quiet would be disturbed" if multi-family units were allowed in the area.