CENTERVILLE — With a change in ownership on the much-talked about Chase Lane property, the city council is opting to hold off on pursuing any action at this time.
The property, 85 Chase Lane, has generated many public complaints and has been on the city’s radar for some time.
Issues relating to the property were the subject of meetings in September and October, though the issues go back further than that. The property, which has included a partially finished home for a number of years, has been deemed an eyesore and a safety hazard as there are unfinished structures that are considered dangerous.
Assistant City Manager Blaine Lutz explained the home became dilapidated and unsightly, in addition to being a safety hazard.
The city has been sending notices and talking about the problems with involved parties since May of this year. Requests included asking the parties to either clean or demolish the structures.
Officials have considered options such as making repairs and doing clean-up, then placing a lien on the property to recover costs. The city has also been working with various involved parties to get them to do work.
Some progress has been made regarding cleanup and safety, though not to the needed levels. In that time, for example, broken or missing windows were boarded up to make it safer.
City staff had been monitoring the property closely since Nov. 15 when another notice was sent to property owners. They were trying to confirm whether enough progress was made to delay further enforcement.
However, Lutz said the city council recently decided to hold off on pursuing further action for now.
He said that decision is due to the change in property owner, the season of year and the cost of cleanup from the recent wind storms.
“The council decided to address the potential cost of a cleanup in the next budget process, which would begin July 1, 2012,” he said. “In essence, it gives the new owners six months to address the property.”
Officials are hopeful that the property issues will be addressed and thus avoid further actions by the city.
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