Three homes condemned by city
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on July 30, 2007 1:45 PM
Condemnation and demolition orders were handed down last week on three Goldsboro dwellings officials characterized as "dilapidated" and "not feasible for repair."
Chief Building Inspector Ed Cianfarra said the homes, located at 1203 Harris St., 1210 John St. and 213 Virginia St. had passed through all three phases of the minimum housing process with little or no attempt made by the property owners to bring them up to code.
The house on Harris Street was damaged by fire in 2005 and Cianfarra said despite a number of attempts to work with the owner, it became clear that there was little hope it could be brought up to code.
"We have tried to work with the people," he said. "But it was burnt beyond repairing."
The home on John Street was in "bad shape," too. A leaking roof, unstable porch, caved-in ceilings and rotting wood made the dwelling unlivable. But Cianfarra said the last time it was inspected, homeless were living inside, one of the "big problems" with homes left vacant.
"We found someone living inside of it and drug paraphernalia," he said.
Cianfarra characterized the house at 213 Virginia St. as "structurally unsound."
Despite these latest three condemnations, there are currently close to 200 homes still under the watch of city inspectors, a number Cianfarra fears will continue to grow unless more properties are dealt with each year.
The first sign of trouble for property owners is receiving a letter from Cianfarra notifying them of a minimum housing violation that exists at the home and asks that the owners come and talk to the inspections department about the problems and time-line to fix them. If the property owner fails to meet with inspectors, their property will likely enter phase two of the process, which also involves a letter and a hearing, as does phase three. If the owner takes no action, the property is added to the council agenda and considered for possible condemnation.