A downtown landmark is partially boarded up now in response to a request by the city”s building inspection department. Plywood was recently placed over some of the side and rear windows of the old Masonic Temple, located at the corner of Main and Fourth streets.
Derrick Nash, code enforcement coordinator, said he sent an email to property owner David Gooch shortly before the Market Street Festival informing him that some of the property”s second-floor windows had fallen out and posed a potential hazard to passersby.
Nash said this is the second time he has notified Gooch of window issues at the century-old building, and both times he has responded quickly and made efforts to correct the problem.
Under city code, complaints about dilapidated buildings trigger an inspection for code violations. If violations are found, the owner is notified and the city”s legal department sets a hearing date, at which time a decision is rendered for the property to be “closed, repaired, or demolished.”
But it doesn”t always go that far. Nash said the email — along with pictures he sent — were a courtesy, and Gooch”s swift response alleviated any further action.
“Some people respond cooperatively, and then you have those that are not so cooperative,” Nash said Thursday afternoon. “We try to work with you to get it done, but there are those that are reluctant or ignore (the notice).”
Nash said he and the other four members of the department are actively working on 300 code-violation cases right now, and he expects that number to increase due to overgrown lot violations once summer arrives.
State law allows the city to cut a property owner”s grass up to 12 times in 24 months after posting a seven-day notice. The city then bills the property owner for the time and labor.
Nash said absentee landlords are a particular problem. Some may neglect properties intentionally, while others — like Gooch, who lives in Nashville — may simply not be aware of the situation.
“Just a simple maintenance of your property would save a lot of time and cost,” he said. “We catch a lot of flack on this end, but the ordinance is good, because it helps beautify your community and your city. If everybody would just do it, that would make our job that much easier.”
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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