Board orders home demolition, clean-up

A city board on Thursday ordered the demolition of a burned duplex on Lawton Road and the clean-up of a duplex unit on Bettis Lane.

The Oak Ridge Board of Building and Housing Code Appeals also agreed to dismiss the case against a Tuskegee Road warehouse if the owners install boards known as fascia, maintain the property, and paint the building within 30 days.

The Lawton Road duplex burned in July. The fire was caused by a window-mounted air conditioning unit that overheated and caught fire, board members learned Thursday. The owners are reportedly interested in selling the property to the city.

The city staff reported that the Bettis Lane duplex unit is abandoned and neglected, and a city inspection found debris, spoiled food, and roaches inside, said Matt Widner, who works in Oak Ridge Codes Enforcement. The board ordered the unit cleaned within 30 days.

The board had discussed the case against the Tuskegee Drive warehouse in meetings in June and September. They could hear it again in 90 days if the owners don’t follow the board order.

Jeff Lewis, one of the owners, requested a six-month extension to sell, demolish, or repair the building.

“There are a couple of deals that are being discussed on the property,” Lewis said.

But board chair Bruce LeForce said the board could grant a 90-day extension at most.

Board members acknowledged that the owners might not want to spend money repairing a building that will eventually be demolished.

Widner said the city has been getting complaints about the warehouse. Improvements such as siding, paint, and fascia might not put the building back in compliance with city codes, but they would quiet “the urgency in people’s minds,” he said.

Other home demolitions have also recently been ordered in Oak Ridge.

In September, the Oak Ridge City Council approved a $28,200 contract that allows a Caryville company to demolish one home on Goucher Circle and another fire-damaged house on West Outer Drive. The city is eligible for reimbursement for those demolitions through the U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program.