KINGWOOD — Kingwood Council’s enforcement committee is recommending action be started against six properties.
Mayor Jean Guillot, who by ordinance sits on the committee, gave the report to council Tuesday. He was also able to pass on some good news about improvements made to a property neighbors have complained about.
The Frontier building is located in a residential zone at the corner of McDonald Street and Springhill Drive. It has been there for more than 20 years. For the last two, neighbors complained the property was cluttered and landscaping was not maintained.
Guillot said Frontier has addressed the issues, taking out two trees and cutting others back, and removing materials outside that were covered with a tarp.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it that cleaned up,” he said.
The same can’t be said for 106 Sisler St., 114 Chestnut St., 138 S. Price St., 239 Morgan St., 169 N. Sigler St. and 211 E. High St., the mayor said.
Some of the structures, have “holes in the roof, the weeds are as tall as the roof line, they’re collapsing, boarded up,” Guillot said. Owners need to either tear them down or fix them, he said.
“We’re in agreement that these are the ones that are the most pressing right now,” the mayor said, referring to the committee.
The enforcement committee includes the mayor, fire chief, health department representative, city supervisor and an at large representative.
Councilman Mike Lipscomb was a member of the committee when it started condemnation of a property on Jacob’s Lane some years ago. That property owner tore the structure down before condemnation, but Lipscomb detailed the process entailed.
He said the first step is for the enforcement committee to meet and issue its findings. Then it must notify the property owners, who will have time to appeal the finding. Then there is a public hearing and other actions before council can order condemnation of the buildings, he said.
“The inevitable outcome of this is we’re going to pay to tear them down,” if it goes to condemnation, Lipscomb said, after Councilman Dick Shaffer asked who would pay for the cleanup?
And where will the money come from for that, asked Acting City Clerk Kayla Huggins.
“There are some buildings that are way beyond repair,” Recorder Bill Robertson said.
Also this week: Councilman Josh Fields said he is researching how other municipalities and counties handle economic development. He’d like to get all parties involved and gather suggestions for council on how to attract economic development. It might work in conjunction with the Blueprint Community initiative, he noted.
Floyd Fulk Jr. was appointed to the Water Board.
