Monday, June 11, 2007
DCist's Update on Shiloh's Condemned Properties
DCist posts this update about Shiloh's recently condemned vacant properties. Of note, the deadline for Shiloh to make the required repairs passed and Shiloh took no apparent action, the DCRA has taken no action to date to make the repairs, and the D.C. Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings meets this Wednesday and has the Shiloh properties are on the agenda.
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7 comments:
Sounds like the condemnation hearing is "cloak and dagger"...
I'll drop FOX 5 an e-mail to notify them of the hearing in case they'd like to do a follow up on their previous story...the publicity can't hurt, right?
If anyone is interested in going to learn more about the proceedings and see how these things work...
The meeting is:
11:30 AM
Wed
941 North Capitol Street NE
Room 9500
Typical Municipal inefficiency and backroom payoffs.
If you can go to the hearing, please do. My wife has gone to several hearings for other properties. Often the "owners representative" lied and if she wasn't there would have gotten away with it. Herbert Johnson is good but the inspectors are apathetic.
Get the media there too.
just got out of a disheartening meeting on the Shiloh unsanitary condemnations, where I found out that Shiloh only has to board up and seal the properties better and get rid of vermin (termites, rats) to make them sanitary -- and possibly shore up sagging floors and stairs -- all of which must be first approved and fussed over by Historic Preservation since it falls within our blessed Historic Slum. The church does not have to do diddlysquat about EVER making them habitable residences, like other vacant property owners. Shiloh has submitted a contract to do the work for the four condemned properties and four other soon-to-be-condemned properties that the condemination board has approved. The church may ultimatly squeal and plead poverty to Jack and beg for a reprieve on the condemnations --cut some slack, as it were -- like the Poh-leese do for church parking all week long. Other churches have done so and been saved the effort caring about the communities they worship in.
The condemnation board is limited to basically the exterior of the buildings. This is yet another case where one part of DCRA (the Vacant Property Office) passes the buck to another part (Condemnation). Condemnation requirements are apparently different from the Vacant Building Maintenance Standard. But they should also have to be made habitable according to Nick Majett, Deputy Director DCRA. What reason do they give for being exempt? Secondly, why isn't the Vacant Property Office proceeding with enforce concurrently with the Condemnation Board?
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