Abby to issue raze order on mobile home property
Abbotsford officials are targeting another pair of buildings for demolition: this time, it’s a garage and storage shed in one of the city’s mobile home parks.
At a committee of the whole meeting last week Wednesday, city council members discussed issuing a raze order for outbuildings at 605 N. Second St., Lot 7.
DPW Craig Stuttgen showed council members several pictures of the structures — an attached garage and a storage shed. Neither building is attached to a foundation and both appear to be filled with junk.
Stuttgen said the park owners agreed to tear both structures down two years ago, but no action has been taken since then. He said he recently told the owners that a possible raze order would be placed on the city council agenda.
Mayor Jim Weix, who used to own the mobile home park, said the buildings should not be allowed to stay in place.
“This is terrible,” he said. “It’s a place for rats to breed.”
Weix said the structures were erected without a proper building permit and they did not follow code.
Ald. Dale Rachu agreed that it was an eyesore, but wondered if these structures really qualified for a raze order.
“If there was no garbage outside and you couldn’t see inside, would we even be looking at this buildings?” he asked.
Stuttgen noted that one of the buildings is leaning, doesn’t have any windows and is not weather-proofed.
“We could give him the option of having that garage building inspected if you think there’s any value to it,” Stuttgen said.
“I wouldn’t waste the money,” Weix said.
Stuttgen noted that he has only spoken to the manager of the mobile home park, and not the actual building owner.
“He’s never there during the day,” he said.
Weix said he would contact the park owner before the next meeting on the June 28, when a motion to issue a raze order will be voted on. He said he was prepared to start fining the owner $250 per day if the owner did not respond to a raze order, just like what was done with a house on First Street earlier this year.
Other business
_ Ward 2 resident Jeremiah Zeiset told the council that he was interested in applying for the seat on the council recently vacated by Brent Faber. Mayor Weix said Zeiset is the only one who has expressed interest, so the council will make the appointment at its June 28 meeting.
_ Mayor Weix proposed getting rid of the two-minute time limit on public comments that has been in place for the past couple of years. He initially proposed lengthening it to five minutes, but then questioned where a limit was needed at all, as long as he keeps it under control.
“If they get too long-winded or something, I’m going to shut them down,” he said.
The policy change will be voted on at the council’s June 28 meeting.
_ City administrator Dan Grady said the city should soon be receiving $250,000 in federal money from the American Recovery Act, and $50,000 of it has already has designated for replacing old leaded joints found on a portion of Fourth Avenue. Water projects qualify for aid under the federal aid bill.
_ The committee recommended approval of a final pay request of $80,409 from Haas Sons for the extension of Opportunity Drive. Stuttgen noted that the final project cost came in at $699,000, about $56,000 under the original contract price.
_ The committee reviewed and approved a total of $207,295 in expenditures.
