Jan. 23 Housing Appeals Board meeting
Covered by Documenter Carol Sparkman (see her notes here)
Eight more Akron houses were designated for demolition after the city’s Housing Appeals Board voted to add them to its list at its Jan. 23 meeting.
The homes, many of which were described as dilapidated, will be added to the city’s list of residences ready for demolition. Property owners have 30 days to appeal the order, Sanitarian Supervisor Jodie Forester recently told Signal Akron. After that, they are subject to demolition by the city, with the property owner liable for the cost.
The board granted extensions for repairs to two other homes, including a Kenmore property whose owner appealed an order from the city in October. The board denied the appeal in this case but allowed more time for repairs due to recent cold weather.
The properties are located in five different wards and five neighborhoods across the city: South Akron, Sherbondy Hill, Middlebury, Cascade Valley and Summit Lake.
Here is the list of houses slated to be demolished, based on the discussion in the meeting:
Cascade Valley
51 Rosalind Court, Ward 5, case No. 6128
- There has been no compliance with the housing orders issued for this property. It is vacant, dilapidated, tax delinquent and unregistered, and the owner is deceased. The Housing Division recommends demolition, with all associated costs assessed.
Middlebury
340 Cleveland St., Ward 10 case No. 6126
- This property is out of compliance. It was recently found vacant, the owner is deceased, it is tax delinquent, has been secured by the city, and is not registered. The Housing Division recommends demolition, with all associated costs assessed to the property.
Sherbondy Hill
730 Euclid Ave., Ward 3, case No. 6129
- There has been no compliance with the housing orders issued for this property. It is vacant, heavily vandalized, dilapidated, tax delinquent. All owners on record have been notified, and a voluntary demolition waiver has been submitted by the owner, acknowledging that the property’s severe disrepair poses a health and safety hazard to the community. The Housing Division recommends it be demolished.
765 Euclid Ave., Ward 3, case No. 6053
- On Oct. 24, the Housing Appeals Board granted an extension until Jan. 23 for this property to keep it free of trash, be secured, undergo significant repairs, transfer ownership and schedule an interior inspection.
- Although the property title was transferred, the new owner did not attend the hearing. Forester confirmed she had not heard from the new owner despite a notification being sent for the hearing. According to the code, the previous owner must provide written notice of any existing orders or proceedings before the Housing Appeals Board.
803 Bisson Ave., Ward 3, case No. 6125
- This property is out of compliance. It was recently found vacant, open, heavily vandalized and dilapidated. The owner is deceased, the property is tax delinquent, has been secured by the city. The Housing Division recommended that the property be demolished, with all associated costs assessed.
650 Moon St., Ward 3, case No. 6130
- There has been no compliance with the housing orders issued for this property. It is vacant, heavily vandalized, dilapidated, and tax delinquent. All owners on record have been notified, and a voluntary demolition waiver has been submitted by the owner, acknowledging that the property’s severe disrepair poses a health and safety hazard to the community. The Housing Division recommended it be demolished.
South Akron
131 E. Archwood Ave., Ward 7, case No. 6124
- This property is out of compliance with housing orders. It is heavily fire-damaged, dilapidated, tax delinquent, vacant, unregistered and has been secured by the city.
Summit Lake
119 W. Crosier St., Ward 3, case No. 6127
- This property is out of compliance with housing orders. The property is vacant, open, dilapidated, has heavy fire damage, has been secured by the city and has not been registered. The Housing Division recommended that it be demolished with all costs assessed.
Board grants 30-day extension
East Akron, 1110 Santee Ave., Ward 5, case No. 6102
- At its Oct. 24 meeting, the board granted an extension until Jan. 23 for the property owner to keep the property free of refuse, secure the property, make significant progress on repairs, obtain necessary permits and inspections and schedule an interior inspection.
- On Jan. 21, Forester inspected the property inside and out with the owner. Improvements included a new: front porch, new basement steps, new supports installed in the basement, new steps to the second floor, completion of all demolition work and partial installation of new windows.
- Permits are still required for the front porch steps and basement supports.
- The owner was unable to attend the hearing but told Forester that they plan to begin plumbing work and complete window installation within the next 60 to 90 days.
- The board approved a 30-day extension, allowing for continued maintenance.
Appeal denied, extension given
Kenmore, 2314 11th St. SW, Ward 9, case No. 0546
- The board voted to deny the appeal. Forester noted that she would file an extension due to current weather conditions.
- This property was inspected on Oct. 1, and violations of the City of Akron Environmental Health housing code were found. Orders to comply were issued on Oct. 8. An appeal of these orders was filed on Oct. 18.
- An attorney for the property owner appealed, stating the notice was vague and unsupported and claiming that housing codes had not been violated. She also noted that her client had complied with repairs she could afford, adding that the property was comparable to others in the neighborhood.
- Forester confirmed that the front steps, porch and gutters met the requirements, but the remaining orders included adding gravel to the driveway, repairing window screens and fixing missing siding. Due to snow, officials couldn’t assess the driveway. Forester mentioned that extensions are often granted when property owners show reasonable progress and maintain communication, but no updates or calls were reported from this property owner.
- A representative from the Housing Division clarified that the window screening order wouldn’t be enforced during winter. He explained that portable, expandable screens could be used for rooms other than kitchens and bathrooms, which require permanent screens. He also emphasized that housing orders are based on code standards rather than comparisons to neighboring properties. Since orders were issued and repairs were initially not made, this demonstrated their validity. He added that extensions are usually granted for owner-occupied dwellings needing extra time to make repairs. However, he maintained that the orders were valid and properly served, and he recommended denying the appeal.
