The City of Lafayette continues to crack down on unsightly and unsafe properties.
The Board of Works approved a plan to demolish a house at 633 Oregon Street, and has two more scheduled for demolition. The city’s Hearing Authority also approved orders Tuesday to tear down another two houses and a garage.
Building Inspector Scott Dieterle says people were living in the garage on North 18th Street at one time.
“The roof now has a tarp on it, soffit missing, this exterior wood is not a siding wood, so it’s just been against the weather all these years, deteriorating,” he says. “Just no protection at all from the inside or out, so the interior studs too have been getting all the weather – rain, snow.”
Deiterle says the home is in good condition. City Attorney Ed Chosnek says it’s abandoned and the owners deeded the property back to the bank.
Dieterle says the house in the 2400 block of Iroquois Trail has been vacant for years. He says the owner and his family have been using it as a storage space.
“I’ve been in contact with the son several times. At first, said he wanted to save this house, he’d do whatever it took to keep it up and keep it. He never did come in and never heard from him since.”
Officials say the family might be willing to sell or give the property to the city. Dieterle thinks the house looks structurally sound, although some major repairs would be necessary.
The other home approved for demolition is at 2725 South 9th Street. Dieterle says he is working with the owner on a strict timeline for making repairs in an effort to avoid demolition.