Plymouth Building Inspector Keith Hammonds approached the City Board of Public Works and Safety this week with a request to take action and have a home demolished.
Hammonds said the house at 801 Sycamore Street is vacant and not habitable. The property and home have not been maintained with trees growing through the structure and it being open.
Hammonds said he sent two registered letter and as of Monday one had been returned unsigned and the other one hasn’t been returned yet. He also commented that he had sent a letter last year asking the home be brought up to living standards. He received a call from the owner who said he would make improvements but hasn’t fulfilled that commitment.
Street Superintendent Jim Marquardt said his employees boarded up the back door and secured the basement entrance a couple weeks ago.
Hammonds said he hoped to be before the Board of Works in August seeking their approval for the demolition.
Councilman Duane Culp then brought up the apartments at Broadway and Harrison that have been vacant for a couple years.
The Building Inspector said sent a letter to the two people involved with the development. The structure is actually sitting on five city lots but the County’s GIS shows it only on one lot and the remaining four lots vacant. Hammond said a person in Florida purchased the vacant lots at a tax sale and recently purchased the lot with the apartments on it at tax sale. He has until October until he can claim possession of it.
He called after receiving the letter and asked the city to wait to demo the structure till after October. He suggested he might remodel the apartments and get them open again.
Culp asked about getting the building secure by boarding up the doors and windows that are open.
Mayor Mark Senter then brought up a home on Lake Avenue at Third Street on the south side that has so much overgrown brush in front of it that you can’t see the home.
Hammonds said a letter was sent to a relative in Fort Wayne but he hasn’t received anything back. He will walk around the property and report back to the Board of Works.
