Taking a bite out of blight, again
Thanks to the efforts of blight activist Ned Bond, and inquiries from The Frederick Extra, the City of Frederick stepped up to ensure that owners of a potentially dangerous property are cleaning up their act.
Despite serving the home at 903 Walnut St. with a violation notice on July 2 for an unsafe property, city code enforcement inspectors did not follow up to ensure that owners were fixing the problems. On Aug. 7, Bond, who has made a habit of embarrassing city officials into action on blighted properties, drove by the single-family home in a neighborhood that runs parallel to the Golden Mile.
What he saw caused him to pull over for a better look: a dilapidated property, partially demolished, with knee-high grass, and missing doors and windows that allowed easy access. Upon further inspection, Bond noticed that the city’s code inspectors had put up a notice of violation (NOV) on June 2, with a deadline of July 2, along with a “Keep Out” sticker. Other “Keep Out” stickers show a date of 1/10/2017, long before the NOV was issued. The building was deemed unsafe, with missing structural support, exposed plumbing and electrical systems and must be secured from outside intrusion. The timeline to address the violations in the NOV was June 7, and Bond noted that the city had not followed up, as required by city code.
[Above top, 903 Walnut St prior to demo and renovation, photo Google Street Maps; above bottom, 903 Walnut St. in Aug.9; by Ned Bond]
Further investigation reveals that the single-family home was purchased by IMPD LLC in Frederick from HUD in December 2016 for $120,000. IMPD LLC, formed in November 2014, is a real estate management entity, whose resident agent is Frederick-based Ivan Panayotov. Since the purchase, the home had been undergoing massive renovation, including a partial demolition requiring temporary supports, based on before and after pics of the home. All of it done, apparently, with no permits. Renovation permits, that do not include permits for plumbing, gas, electric or demolition work, were submitted to the city on May 24, but have not yet been approved. Construction appears to be ongoing. “Nobody knows how stable that structure is,” Bond said, who recommends a structural engineer inspect the home before access is granted to the building. Significant demolition and bracing was done with no City oversight or inspections. The potential for collapse cannot be ruled out.
The Frederick Extra visited the home on Aug. 9 with Bond. The electric system is still active, but it was difficult to determine if the gas was still turned on. Washington Gas Company told The Frederick Extra that the gas had been turned off in November 2016. When notified that the remaining meters appeared damaged and open to water damage, Washington Gas Company removed them.
First Energy’s Dave Kline said in an email that the electric is still active, but if the house were to be condemned, it would have to be shut off. Bond sent photos to a city building inspector after the Aug. 9 visit, advising the city to suspend any permit applications until a structural engineering inspection ensures there is no potential for collapse. He also sent them to the city’s code enforcement office and recommended the building be boarded up to ensure safety of any vagrants, vandals or neighborhood children.
He’s received no response to date. On Aug. 10. Bond filed code complaints, noting unsafe conditions in a partially demolished home with the power still on; grass and weeds, and filth and rubbish. “I also submitted an Ask Your Mayor questions through the City's website about why this structure was open to the public and when it would be secured. I got no answer,” Bond said.
Bond, leaving no stone unturned, asked for police call history on the property and found five since the property was demolished, he said, but has not seen the actual reports. He also filed a Public Information Act Request on the code enforcement and building department history with the property. The city informed him that his request could cost up to $200 to fulfill.
Although no one, either staff or elected official, has responded to Bond’s emails, another visit on Aug. 16 revealed that his complaints were heard. The grass was cut, construction debris stored under the house, and the windows and openings boarded up.
The City's reluctance to address dangerous properties only erodes confidence in City Hall,” Bond said. “I'll continue to monitor this Because I know the City will not.”
Bond takes issue with Mayor Randy McClement’s comments on blight in his annual State of the City address on Aug. 16. "I also charged this Task Force to look into ways to turn long-time empty buildings, houses and lots into productive spaces for entrepreneurs and homeowners. Through our Code Enforcement and Building Permits departments, we have reduced the number of structures on the Blighted Property List and Watch List by gaining compliance and working closely with property owners,” McClement said.
“If you ignore major violations like at 903 Walnut St., and ensure new blighted properties like 903 Walnut do not show up on the blighted property list, it looks like you're making progress when you're probably not,” Bond said. “Maybe it’s time to move some people along.”
