MOUNT VERNON – Mount Vernon resident Laura Tabbut brought her concern over the lack of progress with the demolition of the old middle school before the Mount Vernon City Council at their legislative meeting on Sept. 28.
Tabbut's primary concerns were the ease of access into the dangerous demolition site and possible wildlife aftereffects of the demolition, and that both could have a negative impact on property values in the north end.
Children and the homeless were the two populations Tabbut was most concerned about not being deterred by the current fencing; especially noting the unsafe conditions of the site, including loose bricks that could fall and the tetanus risk of rusty nails.
She was also concerned about possible drug activity in the area and the negative effects of bats on local property owners, sharing her personal experience with the latter that included rabies shots and spending $6,000 to bat-proof her home.
Safety Service Director Rick Dzik acknowledged that Tabbut had previously shared her concerns with him when the temporary orange fencing surrounding the property fell, which was confirmed by Property Maintenance Enforcement Officer Greg Bemiller. Dzik then notified the property owner, Joel Mazza, that the fencing was "no longer sufficient;" and Mazza had the fencing put back up.
Dzik informed the Council that the reasoning behind letting the developer use the less secure orange fencing was two-fold. First, forcing the developer to use permanent fencing would delay demolition further as the fencing would need to be moved to allow passage to construction vehicles. Second, the bright orange color should serve as a warning and deterrent.
Council members John Francis and Julia Warga agreed with Tabbut that the current fencing is not preventing anyone from entering the demolition site, which is problematic.
Mazza had the original six-month demolition permit extended during the pandemic, Dzik explained. The city granted Mazza an extension of six months, the longest permissible by the city, and it is due to end in mid-December.
According to the timetable Mazza originally shared with Dzik, the demolition should have taken six weeks.
Law Director Rob Broeren suggested the Council needs to look at reforming zoning as a whole but specifically adopting a stopgap measure before December with regard to demolition.
The recommendation is so the city will have "more teeth" in case demolition of the old middle school is still incomplete when Mazza's six-month extension on the original demolition permit expires.
