WESTOVER — Westover residents from Bryant Street and Fairmor Drive filled council chambers Monday to ask Westover City Council to take action on a longtime nuisance property.
Robin Ware presented a letter signed by many of her neighbors regarding a property located at 5 Bryant St. Ware said the property is owned by Brian and Gary Walden.
“The house located at 5 Bryant St. has been a nuisance to our neighborhood for decades. We have lived there by drug dealers, sex offenders, child abusers and animal abusers, and with every one of these renters we have dealt with the neglect of that property,” she said. “The house at 5 Bryant St., as we speak now, has been overtaken by roaches and infested with fleas. We, the surrounding neighbors, are once again paying the price.”
Ware said she’s paying to have an exterminator treat her home this week.
“We the neighbors would like this house demolished,” she said. “We love our community and we want to have a happy, peaceful life. We don’t need to worry about the house next door.”
Mayor Bob Lucci said the city is aware of the situation and has condemned the structure for the second time in his tenure as mayor.
“We’re going to do everything in our power, legally, to get rid of the house. It’s a lot easier said than done,” he said .
Attorney Tim Stranko explained further.
“We’re constrained by the state building code and state code. West Virginia is famous for its property rights. We just successfully removed a structure owned by Mr. Walden and it took us through the board of zoning appeals and the circuit court. There’s plenty of due process Mr. Walden knows how to use,” he said. “As the mayor says, we are constrained, but whatever power we have we can use.”
Public Works Director Jason Stinespring said once the city is notified by the pest control company that the bugs are gone, “we’re going to go in with a fine-toothed comb.”
Stinespring said that if the house sits condemned for more than a year or the bug infestation can’t be eliminated, the city will have more legal standing to tear it down.
Also on Monday, Stinespring said the owner of the former Westover Elementary School building on Morrison Avenue has until Oct. 20 to produce a signed contract for the asbestos abatement and demolition of the building.
At that point, the city could take the building down itself or seek a court order.
The property is owned by Victor Solomon. It has fallen into disrepair and has been fenced off for some time. The city carried out an administrative search warrant to inspect the building back in August.
Lastly, council set Westover Trick or Treat for 6-8 p.m. Oct. 31.
