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Dover City Council voted Monday night to condemn two homes that have fallen into disrepair and become sites of hoarding.
The two, separate votes were conducted under the city’s dangerous building ordinance.
A property at 123 Blue Beach Dr. has been the subject of numerous code violations and neighbor complaints for the past 14 years, city Director of Planning Ann Marie Townshend said. The owner has been notified several times by certified mail and house postings of the violations, she said.
The pool was declared dangerous on Sept. 25, 2006, Townshend said. She showed council photos of dark, dank pool water. The pool was brought into compliance for a brief time in September 2010 but fell into disrepair once again, she said.
In April 2011, city crews removed a large amount of junk and debris from the property, she said.
On Jan. 10, 2012, Animal Control Officer Mark Moore received a complaint from the Kent County SPCA about three cats living in feces in the home, Townshend said. She showed photos of the feces in the home.
Council voted 7-0, with two absent, to order the owner, Deborah Statler, to clean up or demolish her home by Feb. 23, giving her 10 days to comply.
If Statler does not comply, the city can proceed with the cleanup or demolition and file suit against her to recoup the costs, Townshend said.
Councilman Sean Lynn, an attorney who has represented the owner of the property, recused himself from the vote and stepped out of council chambers for the entire discussion. Councilwoman Beverly Williams was absent.
In a separate measure, Council voted 8-0 to condemn the property at 22 Fairwind Place for unsafe and unsanitary conditions. The owner, Jackie S. Powell, has until March 13 to clean up her property.
Powell’s house has been full of clutter, garbage and debris, Townshend said. The bathrooms were not accessible and cluttered with urine-filled bottles and bags containing feces and feminine hygiene products, she said.
No one from the pubic spoke before the Fairwind vote.
But Council’s vote on Statler’s property came after hearing from four residents who spoke in favor of the measure and three who spoke against it, including Statler.
Former Councilman Eugene Ruane and Crossgates residents Sandra Kinkus and Nancy Lambert spoke in favor of condemning the Blue Beach Drive property.
The property was a source of complaints during the 10 years that Ruane was in office, he said.
Kinkus asked members of the audience for a show of hands to indicate who supported condemning the property. About 10 people raised their hands.
Dover City Council voted Monday night to condemn two homes that have fallen into disrepair and become sites of hoarding.
The two, separate votes were conducted under the city’s dangerous building ordinance.
A property at 123 Blue Beach Dr. has been the subject of numerous code violations and neighbor complaints for the past 14 years, city Director of Planning Ann Marie Townshend said. The owner has been notified several times by certified mail and house postings of the violations, she said.
The pool was declared dangerous on Sept. 25, 2006, Townshend said. She showed council photos of dark, dank pool water. The pool was brought into compliance for a brief time in September 2010 but fell into disrepair once again, she said.
In April 2011, city crews removed a large amount of junk and debris from the property, she said.
On Jan. 10, 2012, Animal Control Officer Mark Moore received a complaint from the Kent County SPCA about three cats living in feces in the home, Townshend said. She showed photos of the feces in the home.
Council voted 7-0, with two absent, to order the owner, Deborah Statler, to clean up or demolish her home by Feb. 23, giving her 10 days to comply.
If Statler does not comply, the city can proceed with the cleanup or demolition and file suit against her to recoup the costs, Townshend said.
Councilman Sean Lynn, an attorney who has represented the owner of the property, recused himself from the vote and stepped out of council chambers for the entire discussion. Councilwoman Beverly Williams was absent.
In a separate measure, Council voted 8-0 to condemn the property at 22 Fairwind Place for unsafe and unsanitary conditions. The owner, Jackie S. Powell, has until March 13 to clean up her property.
Powell’s house has been full of clutter, garbage and debris, Townshend said. The bathrooms were not accessible and cluttered with urine-filled bottles and bags containing feces and feminine hygiene products, she said.
No one from the pubic spoke before the Fairwind vote.
But Council’s vote on Statler’s property came after hearing from four residents who spoke in favor of the measure and three who spoke against it, including Statler.
Former Councilman Eugene Ruane and Crossgates residents Sandra Kinkus and Nancy Lambert spoke in favor of condemning the Blue Beach Drive property.
The property was a source of complaints during the 10 years that Ruane was in office, he said.
Kinkus asked members of the audience for a show of hands to indicate who supported condemning the property. About 10 people raised their hands.
But Statler said youths from the neighborhood had vandalized her home and destroyed her property after trespassing. She also said animal control had no problems with her cats.
Friends Andrea Hicks and Kyle Greening spoke in Statler’s defense, with Hicks promising to help Statler clean up her home.
But Council President Thomas Leary said that complaints had begun to surface about Statler’s home during his first stint on council from 1992 to 2000.
“It’s a nice neighborhood,” he said. “And I think it should stay nice.”
Councilman David Bonar expressed disbelief that complaints about this property had gone on for so long.
“To blame the neighbors goes beyond the pale,” he said.
After the meeting, Statler said she is willing to clean up her home provided the city gives her more leeway to access to her home. She said the city boarded up her property three weeks ago.
