Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two-part series involving the city’s handling of nuisance and building safety concerns. Today’s story addresses building safety.
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by Diane Lowrey
R-T Editor
The city of Trenton has been busy in recent months addressing concerns about buildings and homes in the community that have been deemed to be unsafe or inhabitable.
The two most recent cases have involved the American Legion Building at 103 E. 10th St. and the former Gilworth furniture building at 1001 Main St. In each case, the outcome has been different, but the process used by the city to determine the safety of the buildings was similar.
“It’s a time-consuming process,” said City Administrator Kerry Sampson, who works closely with Building Inspector Gary Beverlin in making sure the steps in determining the suitability of a building are followed.
Much like the process used in declaring a nuisance, deciding whether or not a building is safe for continued use has several steps to go through before a final decision is rendered. The Building and Nuisance Board, whose members are appointed by the mayor, is involved in the process once the recommendation on a structure is made. City ordinance and state laws spell out the steps that must be followed, beginning with a declaration that a building is unsafe.
“The difference in deciding a nuisance versus determining a building to be dangerous is that we look to see whether or not the building is secure and safe, not how it might look on the outside,” Sampson said. “We want to make that the structure is safe for use by the public. That is our main concern.”
If a concern is expressed about a building, city officials contact the owner in an effort to determine what may need to be done to bring the structure up to code. If nothing is done, a public hearing is held by the Building and Nuisance Board, at which time the owner is asked to attend and discuss the situation. At that point, the board usually directs city officials to work with the owner to get the building fixed. This could mean inspections, setting a timeline for getting repairs made or, depending on the outcome of the inspections, having the building taken down.
“We (the city) are concerned about the safety of our citizens and we can’t have buildings that are a danger to them,” Sampson said.
The city has been fortunate in recent years to have Community Development Block Grant funds available that have helped tear down several uninhabitable buildings, both residential and commercial. The city is currently bidding out 15 properties, including two commercial, to be torn down in late July and early August, with another list of potential demolitions being complied for later this year.
In the case of the American Legion building, the structure was deemed dangerous and the organization has moved from the structure. Attempts will be made by the city to assist the Legion in getting the structure taken down.
The Gilworth building has been another matter. After attempts to get the building closed up due to safety concerns, the city had an structural engineer look at the structure, which was deemed to be useable if certain repairs were made to the building. The city is currently working with the owner and his engineer in an effort to get those repairs done.
Persons who have concerns about structures are asked to contact city hall during regular business hours. A list of the city ordinances that regular dangerous buildings is included on the city’s website at www.trentonmo.com.