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House due to be razed gets 60-day reprieve
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - May 06, 2010)
House due to be razed gets 60-day reprieve
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Munson Township Trustees agreed last week to extend the time for demolishing a deteriorating house at 13417 Rockhaven Road. They agreed to a 60-day reprieve for the house.
Trustees took action in mid-April, ordering that demolition crews tear down the house after getting support for the action from the township zoning inspector and the Geauga County health, building and sheriff's departments. Sheriff's deputies said the vacant building has become a temptation to local children, some of whom have painted gang-related graffiti there.
Last week, trustees met with the house's owner, Kristopher Klingmann, to discuss plans for demolition.
Munson Zoning Inspector Timothy Kearns said the township was prepared to move forward with the demolition within 30 days. He said the township had obtained quotes for the demolition and that 85 percent of the materials would be recycled. He said police had received another report about trespassing at the house since trustees met two weeks earlier.
Mr. Klingmann asked trustees to give him 90 days before demolishing the building. He said he needed of time to salvage hardwood floors in the house.
Trustee Todd Ray said trustees need assurances that safety and security measures at the home would be maintained to ensure no one enters it.
Mr. Klingmann said he has boarded every window and nailed and screwed shut all doors. He said the front door, which is not nailed shut, does have a dead bolt.
Mr. Kearns objected to the 90-day time limit, saying the house has been ransacked so many times there were no items of value left. "I'm against the 90 days," he said.
Mr. Klingmann said he wanted the extra time to be sure he would have time to salvage the hardwood floors. He said he needed to recycle the materials to get some money to pay for the estimated $15,000 cost of demolition. "For starters, I don't have $15,000," he said.
Mr. Ray offered a 60-day time period for the work, with monitoring by the township.
Mr. Kearns said he would prefer a 30-day limit with a 30-day extension, once an inspection shows that progress is being made to remove the floorboards.
Mr. Klingmann said he could not agree to the 30-30 agreement, saying the zoning inspector arbitrarily could decide not enough progress has been made. He said the township then would order bulldozers in and place the cost on his taxes.
Mr. Kearns said the issue is non-negotiable because the township is dealing with a safety issue. "That place is literally falling to the ground," he said.
At that point, Mr. Klingmann said, he could take the matter to an attorney and to the courts and hold up demolition.
Trustee Irene McMullen said the township is seeking the 30-30 deal to ensure that progress is being made.
Mr. Klingmann said he would agree to the 60-day time period.
Mr. Ray said the township would allow Mr. Klingmann 30 days from April 27 to show "significant effort" is being made to salvage items from the house. He said the building also must be secured. "That's what would satisfy this board," he said.
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