Owners of Blighted Structures Plead for Time
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| Franklin Perras pleads his case before the City Council. |
"I'm a hard worker but not a smart worker," said owner Franklin Perras of the deteriorating apartment at 34-40 Arnold Place that has been cited for numerous violations over the past four years. "I intend to completely refurbish the house and make its presence someone would like to see in North Adams."
Perras ticked off a litany of improvements he has made to the vacant building, such as replacing windows, removing trees and fixing walls. Rent from its five apartments would sustain he and his ailing brother in their senior years, he said. "My intentions are good and honorable."
The City Council was sympathetic to his tale of woe but insistent that the property had to be dealt with; the same went for the other three structures that Mayor John Barrett III has requested the council declare a public hazard, clearing the way for their demolition.
Barrett announced his decision to play hardball with owners of blighted properties throughout the city in his inaugural address in January. Such owners are "equity thieves," said the mayor, draining the value out of neighborhoods and impeding their revitalizations.
Tenement mogul Charles "Rusty" Ransford, a frequent target of the mayor's ire, read a brief statement and a lengthy list of properties he said he had saved from demolition over the past 20 years. He said the two buildings on East Main Street, 223-225 and 229-231, brought before the council would be repaired.
<L2>The buildings have been vacant for some time and have a long history of problems, said Building Inspector William Meranti. He said the back porches are deteriorating, the foundation of at least one is compromised and there has been no interest shown in repairing the structures.
The mayor said the buildings are blight on a neighborhood that's seeing a huge amount of investment through refurbished homes and the plans Arch Street Development and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Foundation have for the former Notre Dame property.
"I'm sorry he saved some of these from the wrecking ball," said Barrett of Ransford's list. "Because some of them should have had a wrecking ball ... that would have been neighborhood revitalization."
A letter from attorney Scott W. Ellis of Campoli & Monteleone requested that his client Arthur Boucher be given six months to repair his property at 34 Harrison Ave. for resale.
A number of potential buyers had been interested in the property, he wrote, but all the deals have fall through. If the council would not give an extension, Boucher asked that he be allowed to do the demolition.
A fifth property, 80 1/2 Prospect St., came into the city's possession after several years in Land Court and so was not required to go through the public hearing process.
The council left some hope that the structures could be salvaged but only if the owners came through with concrete plans for their rehabilitation. Perras said he could fix his property by fall.
"Is that something you can assure this council that this building will be up to snuff by fall?" asked Councilor Ron Boucher. "You've got a big, big job to do here."
Councilor Clark Billings queried Perras on his ability to pay for the $50,000 to $60,000 worth of renovations planned. "We've heard these sob stories before."
Perras said he had the financing and that he could get the work done.
Meranti said building had an unsafe floor and part of the foundation was compromised. Plus, he said, while Perras had claimed to have done improvements, he hadn't been issued permits for the work.
The Public Safety Committee will review the properties and make recommendations to the City Council. Perras was strongly encouraged to provide it with a work time line and contractor. Ransford was given the same warning.<R3>
The mayor was concerned that the committee review would result in yet more extensions.
"I know you want to send it off to committee and have it looked at but understand there have been several extensions to most of these property owners to get these properties fixed up," he said. "I would give them two weeks to come back with a plan. ... I don't want them to use [the committee] as a delaying tactic."
City Council President Alan Marden assured the mayor that the subcommittee would come back with orders at the next meeting. "That's as expeditiously as we can do it."
In other business:
At the mayor's suggestion, the matter was postponed to April 11 to give Rep. Daniel E. Bosley, D-North Adams, more time to investigate a home-rule petition.
The plot, which cannot be developed, is needed for parking and access to the old mill site, which is being renovated into affordable housing. Attempts to purchase the property, valued at $3,600 have been unsuccessful.
