Good Riddance!!

Basement Will be Filled In

The wheels of progress sometimes turn slowly, but they do turn. That’s the case for the demolition of the two duplex houses at the corner of South 9^th and West Oak Streets which have been empty for several years.

The Tree is Going Too

The demolition is part of a program enacted by the City of Lamar to help rid local neighborhoods of blight, while improving the overall appearances of neighboring houses along the street. The buildings had condemnation signs posted on them several months ago, and unfortunately, it takes at least that long to follow all the legal protocols to make certain the city is on safe ground when it sends out a wrecking crew.  The city needs permission from the title-holder to inspect the house, asbestos content, if any, has to be determined and at least sixty days’ notice has to be given about the pending demolition.  A title search has to be conducted and then the property can be deeded to the city.

Condemned for Demolition on South 9th and West Oak

“We’re spraying water on the house just to keep the dust down. This old place is made of adobe so there’s no worry about asbestos here,” said an employee from the public works department.  He estimated that the entire complex should be leveled and hauled off to the landfill by the end of the week.  “We’re going to fill in the basement and take it back from South 9^th, all the way to the alley,” he explained.  He added, “One of the neighbors came out when we got underway today and told us they were so happy we were finally taking action on this place.  They said they’ve wanted this place to be gone in the worst way, just to open up their property so they don’t have to look at it anymore or worry about people using it with kids in the neighborhood.”  A tree located between the house and sidewalk will also be removed.

Future Demolition Site

There are several more houses that have condemnation notices posted on them, with three in a row located on North 11^th Street,  and one derelict house on West Washington Street was closed several months ago due to health concerns, as several squatters were living there without the owner’s knowledge.  That property did not have any utilities connected to it and it took a court order to have them evicted.

It’s progress for the community, but it takes time and a portion of the city’s budget has to be allocated to the demolition process once all the legal paperwork has been cleared.

By Russ Baldwin