McMinnville Codes Enforcement has its eye on several unfit structures.
“We have maybe six on the radar as far as unfit structures that need to be removed,” said McMinnville Planning and Zoning director Nolan Ming.
Alderman Ryle Chastain asked if one of those is located at 210 George Huggins Drive.
“It is,” said Ming. “The city holds the deed for that property, as well as 217 Mt. Leo Heights. I just want to demo the houses. The one on George Huggins is probably not buildable as it is, or it would require a variance because the lot lines come right up to the edge of the current house. Then, there are two strips – one on each side.”
The information was presented to members of the city Building and Grounds Committee. Ming asked permission of Aldermen Steve Harvey, Ryle Chastain and Kate Alsbrook to remove those two buildings.
Harvey questioned the possibility of selling the properties as they are, saving city taxpayers the expense of building removal estimated between $4,000 and $5,000 each.
City administrator Bill Brock urged against selling.
“The risk you run doing that is that somebody will buy them, maybe somebody you don’t want to buy them, and they will sit on them,” said Brock. “Codes will have to continue urging them to fix it up or remove it. They will buy it with good intentions and it never works out. We’ve done that before.”
Three houses are located at 203 Morningside, 205 Morningside, and 209 Morningside. The city does not own those properties and, according to city attorney Tim Pirtle, the city must obtain a removal order from city court.
The final building on the city’s radar as an unfit structure is located at 120 Kirby Street. Ming said individuals were attempting to remove the building, but they were piling the debris at the curb for McMinnville Public Works Department to haul off rather than paying out of pocket for a dumpster.
“They were working on demoing that building by hand and hauling it to the street to have Public Works take it away,” said Ming. “The city ended up breaking a piece of equipment or damaging it, because it’s located on a big hill. Public Works said it’s not going to take anymore waste away. Now, they are kind of at a standstill. I told them they need to get a dumpster and get on with it.”
City officials placed $40,000 in the 2016-17 fiscal year budget for unfit structure removal.
Harvey, Chastain and Alsbrook approved the removal of structures on George Huggins Drive and Mt. Leo Heights.