The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Demo board adds 6 to hit list
United Polish Club among condemned buildings
Another half dozen buildings, including the former United Polish Club, were added to the city of Lorain’s hit list of structures that are in such bad condition they are nuisances to public health.
The Lorain Demolition Board of Appeals met Sept. 20 to consider condemning more homes and commercial properties that have deteriorated seemingly beyond repair.
The board’s order does not necessarily lead to immediate demolition. In some cases, property owners will pay to tear down the structures, but Lorain’s city administration for months has lamented that the city does not have money to cover
the cost to raze every building that should be gone.
For all the cases, city Building Inspector Chris Yates presented photographs of the properties and described the conditions found there.
The September 2018 list included the former United Polish Club, 701 W. 17th St.
The building was in the news this year when a fire broke out there March 28. Since then, conditions have gotten worse inside and out, Yates said.
Photos showed areas where the ceiling was nothing but hanging insulation.
City Safety-Service Director Dan Given asked if the inspectors visited the basement or second floor.
“I didn’t see a second floor,” Yates said. “It’s pretty dangerous in there … it’s not somewhere you want to be trotting around in. Like I said, this place was on fire so it’s not somewhere safe you can just go.”
Vegetation outside the building is overgrown and debris constantly is dumped on the property, Yates said.
There have been multiple fires at the club and as soon as the building is boarded up, people get back in, said Lorain Fire Department Assistant Chief Christopher Radman.
Firefighters have found needles in the building and it appeared one of the fires started when someone was mixing drugs with wasp killer, Radman said.
“Fun, good stuff. Yeah, how do you make this stuff up?” Given said.
The building is a forfeiture to the state of Ohio for owing back taxes of at least $74,765, according to the demo board.
Not all the properties were condemned.
For 1145 W. 20th St., the photos showed the home appears in a state of filth, but may not be in a state of demolition, Given said.
The property has been a nightmare for neighbors, Yates said, but Given and other demo board members said it was difficult to judge the conditions from the available photographs.
The board voted to order the home vacated, barricaded and repaired, although Yates dissented in the vote.
He estimated the repair costs for the home would exceed 50 percent of the value of the home.
If there is more evidence about conditions of the house, the demo board will consider it again in the future, Given said.
The board had 1463 Broadway, the old Charleston Car Wash, on the agenda for consideration. It was postponed for the city Department of Building, Housing and Planning to get more documentation about the building.
For the other properties, Yates displayed a number of photos showing poor conditions and safety hazards. And the board voted to condemn them.
• 220 W. 16th St. The house has a failing foundation and tires are dumped there constantly, Yates said.
• 1419 Washington Ave. From the first floor it is possible to look up and see daylight through holes in the ceiling and roof.
But the house had evidence showing the presence of squatters, Yates said.
“And of course, like every it’s a dumping ground,” he said, showing a photo of tires dumped on the property.
• 1820-1822 Long Ave. It appeared someone had stolen prescription drugs and stereos and was scrapping them inside, Yates said.
• 3405 Pearl Ave., a former church. “This church is wide open at all times,” Yates said.
The board voted to condemn 449 W. Eighth St.
“This house did catch on fire at some point,” Yates said. “This is just mass fire damage. This house is just totally charred on the inside.”
After that vote, the board heard from Karen Naymik, property manager for home owner Serenity Homes USA LLC.
The company planned to inspect the home today to see if it could be salvaged, Naymik said.
If they attempt to save it, the owners must follow city guidelines and have a plan to repair the property, Given said. If it can be repaired, Serenity Homes can file a restoration plan by Sept. 24, Naymik said.