Council Delays Action on Declaring House Dangerous and Unsafe

Members of the Effingham City Council Tuesday decided to delay action on an ordinance that would declare a fire-damaged house dangerous and unsafe and allow the City to make corrections to the house at the owner's expense.

The house at 1000 South 4th Street was damaged by fire in mid-December. Commissioners Matt Hirtzel and Brian Milleville said it seemed the City was moving awfully quickly to take such steps. City Attorney Tracy Willenborg said efforts have been going on since July to get some remedy on the house, well before the fire occurred.

However, one of the owners was present Tuesday night and said they would work with the City to move the process along. City Administrator Jim Arndt was not present for the meeting due to a death in the family, so the matter was delayed until they could get his input on the matter.

The Council voted to rezone a lot at 108 Veterans Drive from non-urban to multiple-dwelling district to allow construction of a multi-family assisted living facility on the lot.

However, the property won't be 108 Veterans Drive for long, as the Council last night also voted to rename the portion of Veterans Drive from 4th Street to the east as Blohm Avenue, matching up with the new portion of street being built east of Veterans Drive. With the change, Blohm Avenue will run east from 4th Street through Woodland Heights Subdivision, and Veterans Drive will now begin at Blohm Avenue and extend south from there to Airport Road.

The Council also rezoned the portion of 1225th Street between the interstate and the Bourgeois property as Bourgeois Drive. The roadway is to be improved to accommodate the Beck's Seed project to be located on the property. Also, the Council approved design engineering work by Milano and Grunloh Engineers of Effingham on Pike Avenue to help accommodate the Beck's project. Those two awards are subject to the City receiving an Economic Development Program grant to help finance the work.

Council members also finalized a resolution with Economic Development Resources to incorporate some additional properties into the Outer Belt West Business District Plan. The project involves development of the property around and near the intersection of Outer Belt West and Keller Drive.

The Council also approved subdivision plats of several properties, including the vacant lot along the north side of Temple Avenue between Maple and Merchant Streets to be improved with two single-family attached residences by Greg Lilley. Commissioner Alan Harris abstained from that vote since Lilley is his brother-in-law.