Springfield has ‘hit list’ of targeted dilapidated buildings

Springfield has an official hit list of nine unsafe and dilapidated buildings it wants either to be demolished or repaired.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20130516/NEWS02/705169903

A house at 52 Mount Vernon St. is shown in its state of abandonment Wednesday. Photo: Photo by Len EmeryPublished May 16, 2013 in the Rutland Herald Springfield has ‘hit list’ of targeted dilapidated buildings By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — Springfield has an official hit list of nine unsafe and dilapidated buildings it wants either to be demolished or repaired. The Springfield Select Board approved hiring a structural engineer to do the next step after a report by Fire Chief Russell Thompson that the buildings — or their outbuildings — were unsafe and needed immediate attention if not demolition. The Select Board appointed Thompson and Assistant Fire Chief and Health Officer Scott Richardson, along with Weathersfield engineer David “Todd” Hindinger of Heritage Engineering to evaluate the buildings and prepare a report by May 28. The Select Board is acting under the town’s Unsafe Building Ordinance. At the top of the list was a three-story house at 81 Union St., owned by Milton and Melanie Robinson, former residents of Springfield. The building, the chief said, “was dragging down the neighborhood.” “This building should be demolished,” he told the board. Thompson said the building is no longer straight and true, and it is in danger of collapsing. He said there was a tree growing up alongside the northern side of the building, which he said he believed was helping to keep the building from collapsing. He recommended immediate demolition. Thompson said he had been on contacted with the Robinsons for the past several years, with little progress made in addressing the problem. Second on the list was a home at 52 Mount Vernon St., formerly owned by the Allan Branch family and now owned by Krystin and John Varotsis. Thompson said the additions made to the original structure were threatening the core structure, and he said the building was so precarious he would not send a firefighter into the building in the event of a fire. Thompson told the Select Board Monday night that he had left off the list several fire-damaged properties that were either in negotiations with insurance companies or about to be rehabilitated or torn down. He said all but the property at 23 Valley St., was residential, and none were occupied. Thompson said he made his initial review only by looking at the exterior of the building. He said he was concerned that several of the properties were being used by squatters, and that he believed some of the properties were in danger of being used as meth labs. He said the fire department had recently had training about the threat of meth labs, and he said dilapidated, unoccupied buildings were a draw. The list of properties under review: 1. 81 Union St., owned by Milton and Melanie Robinson 2. 52 Mount Vernon St., Krystin and John Varotsis 3. 69 Park St., Hamilton Grouphttp://springfieldvt.blogspot.com/ 4. 284 Elm St., John Augustinovich 5. 52 Valley St., Franklin Curran 6. 9 Furnace St., Patsy Pignato 7. 21 Cottage Ave., Town of Springfield 8. 105 Clinton St., Lena Ostrowski et al 9. 23 Valley St., Donald and Jean Bishop