Friday, March 29, 2024

Council acts on trio of substandard houses

Posted

The Gatesville City Council took action related to three substandard houses during its May 23 meeting - one at 506 and a half S. Sixth St., one at 506 Lutterloh St. and a third at 2006 Bridge St.

While the houses on Lutterloh and Sixth streets are relatively new items to come before the Council, the house at Bridge Street has been on recurring agendas since November 2021.

In March 2023, the houses on Sixth and Lutterloh streets were identified by Gatesville Building Inspector Robert Featherston as being substandard structures violating multiple building codes. 

At 506 and a half Sixth St., "10% of the exterior wall is burned and decaying, the metal roof is not fastened to the structure, the backroom/porch is collapsing, there is exposed electrical wiring throughout the dwelling, the bathroom floor is rotten, in one of the bedrooms there is no flooring and the sheetrock has been removed from the walls and the plumbing is substandard," according to a report from the building inspector.

The house at 506 Lutterloh's "back wall has a large hole allowing for further deterioration/decaying of the structure, (there is an) unsuitable foundation, exposed electrical wiring, broken windows, substandard plumbing, floor is decaying and the roof is deteriorating," the building inspector's report stated.

The owners of both the Sixth Street and Lutterloh Street houses have expressed a desire to make the necessary repairs to repair those houses and get them up to code.

Tom Haury of Salado, managing partner of the company that owns the Sixth Street house, said there are three houses in Gatesville which his company plans to repair and sell. The other houses are on Fifth Street and on Spindletop Street.

"We closed (on the Sixth Street house) on May 8 and we've already removed two Dumpster loads of trash," Haury told the Council. "We've taken the property down to the studs and will have a new (heating, ventilation and air conditioning system) plumbing - everything. The only thing remaining will be the original structure."

Mayor Gary Chumley asked Haury about his timeframe to complete repairs.

"Six months," Haury said.

"You think by December 4th?" asked Mayor Pro Tem Meredith Rainer.

"Yes," Haury said. Our goal is to get them done and get them sold."

The Council voted to give the owners of the Sixth Street and Lutterloh Street houses until Dec. 4 to complete repairs. Haury was also asked to update the Council on progress at the Sept. 26 meeting.

The house at 2006 Bridge Street was determined to be substandard on Nov. 8, 2021. After multiple extensions were granted, owner Josiah Wilson of Buda appeared before the Council on Nov. 15, 2022, and was given until Feb. 23, 2023, to complete repairs.

A citation was issued for noncompliance with the city's order.

Delays have resulted in the Council giving additional time to complete repairs. City staff recommended giving him until Sept. 1 to complete repairs, and to consider demolition if work isn't finished by that time.

The building inspector Featherston said the house had recently failed electrical and plumbing inspections.

"I think September is too long," Rainer said. "The question is what to require by a certain date."

Police Chief Brad Hunt said another letter can be sent notifying Wilson that that would be his final notice of citation before Council orders demolition.

"There's a lot of progress on the outside but we've got to get it to where it's habitable," Featherston said.

Councilman Joe Patterson asked, "Do you think June 13 is a reasonable time?"

"They ought to have it done by June 1," Featherston said. "There's a whole host of problems. I'm just trying to think of a simple but effective way to get things done."

Mayor Chumley said he believed the electrical work and plumbing should be completed by the next Council meeting (on June 13).

"Electrical, plumbing and HVAC all ought to be done," Featherston said.

He added that there are other concerns regarding documentation that he is also investigating.

The Council voted to give Wilson until June 13 to have electrical, HVAC and plumbing done and in compliance with codes or to face daily citations.