Mount Vernon's Property Maintenance Appeals Board voted on March 14, 2023, to condemn and demolish the house at 621 N. Sandusky St. While it looks unassuming from the front, the structure has many problems and is unsafe and unlivable.
Vacant for several years, the house at 621 N. Sandusky St. has a collapsing roof, deteriorating eaves and gutters, a rear deck that has collapsed, and broken or missing windows. On March 14, 2023, the Property Maintenance Appeals Board ordered the structure condemned and demolished.
The Property Maintenance Appeals Board for the City of Mount Vernon condemned this building on Feb. 8, 2023, and ordered it to be demolished. The storage facility sits just west of and leans over the Genessee & Wyoming railroad tracks on West Gambier Street. Railroad officials are concerned it will fall and take out power poles that serve the railroad.
Mount Vernon's Property Maintenance Appeals Board voted on March 14, 2023, to condemn and demolish the house at 621 N. Sandusky St. While it looks unassuming from the front, the structure has many problems and is unsafe and unlivable.
MOUNT VERNON — Members of the city's Property Maintenance Appeals Board voted to condemn three structures, recommending demolition for two.
Reconvening on February 8 after a two-year hiatus, the board recommended the condemnation and demolition of parcel 66-00320.001 on West Gambier St.
Owner Joe Adrian said he uses the property as a storage facility for his window/construction business. Property Maintenance Enforcement Officer Greg Bemiller notified Adrian of code violations in October 2020 and again in April 2022.
The structure's south wall is missing sections and partially collapsing, there is a hole in the front wall, and the exposed and unprotected fascia boards are deteriorating. The east wall severely bows out, and the upper section leans toward the railroad tracks.
In 2020, railroad officials expressed concern that if the building falls, it will likely take out the power pole for the crossing gates, signal shack, and gate mechanism and possibly end up on the tracks.
Bemiller deemed the structure unsafe and unfit for human occupancy.
The board asked Adrian to get a demolition permit and coordinate an asbestos inspection with the EPA before beginning demolition. Adrian also needs to coordinate with the railroad so the railroad can close the railway during demolition.
The Property Maintenance Appeals Board for the City of Mount Vernon condemned this building on Feb. 8, 2023, and ordered it to be demolished. The storage facility sits just west of and leans over the Genessee & Wyoming railroad tracks on West Gambier Street. Railroad officials are concerned it will fall and take out power poles that serve the railroad.
City of Mount Vernon
At their March 14 meeting, board members voted to condemn with demolition the house at 621 N. Sandusky St.
Bemiller said the roof is deteriorated and collapsing on the south and west sides of the house. The eaves and gutters have heavily deteriorated, windows are missing or broken, and the rear deck has completely collapsed.
Additionally, the rear door closes but will not latch and lock. While mostly intact, mold and mildew cover the siding, and the interior is unlivable.
The interior of the house at 621 N. Sandusky St. renders it unsafe and unlivable.
City of Mount Vernon
The owner of the property passed away in 2019, and no relatives can be found.
“This building is a magnet for crime in this neighborhood,” Law Director Rob Broeren told the board, citing an instance of two trespassers on the morning of March 14. “Hopefully we'll be able to button this up and give the neighbors some relief.”
“Until someone owns the house, nothing can be done with it,” Bemiller said. “This is the first step so that the next person who buys it knows the status.”
The board also voted to condemn the house at 306 N. Norton St., but gave owner Rodney Spray 90 days to make the structure safe and begin rehabilitation. The house has been vacant for several years.
Vacant for several years, the house at 621 N. Sandusky St. has a collapsing roof, deteriorating eaves and gutters, a rear deck that has collapsed, and broken or missing windows. On March 14, 2023, the Property Maintenance Appeals Board ordered the structure condemned and demolished.
City of Mount Vernon
Spray told the board he originally bought the house for a rental and did some initial work, rebuilding the porch and enclosing the back porch. In construction himself, Spray said that he is working on clients' houses and has been unable to attend to the North Norton Street house.
“I actually want to make it rentable by the end of this year,” he said, adding that he already has new windows to install.
Bemiller said the house appears structurally sound but has broken windows and missing gutters. In addition, the siding has mold and mildew, a small room on the back has no siding, and the trim around windows and doors is deteriorating.
The roof has no holes but is covered in mold, mildew, and moss. The front porch has no floorboards.
Bemiller initially notified Spray of code violations in March 2022 and set a date of October 2022 for Spray to bring it into compliance. Spray did not respond.
Spray will coordinate with the city over the next three months on the work needed to make the structure safe. Once the work is acceptable, the board will lift the order to condemn.
