McComb Zoning Director Henry Green plans to recommend to the city board that just one owner with a property on the demolition list be given time to correct the issues.
Green said he would recommend that Gregory Patterson, the owner of a house at 520 Fifth St., be given six weeks to fix the property.
Green revisited the Feb. 28 demolition hearing at Tuesday’s work session.
“This would be the only one that I would recommend that we would allow to do so, to sell what they can or salvage what they can out of it, and then they plan to take it down themselves,” Green said.
“It burned probably a year ago now. What their plan is, is to sell as much of the materials out of that home that are left. What it is, is it’s a very old home. They’ve already sold the floors out of the home. They’ve sold all of the windows out of the home.”
Green said Rochell Thornton, the owner of a home at 403 McComb St., where a tree fell onto the house in stormy weather, was present at the hearing.
“She did show up, but again, that’s one of the properties that has already been taken down and cleaned up,” Green said.
Green said James Swanigan of 1004 Wall St., Patricia White of 1008 Apache Drive and Dudley Thompson of 804 Live Oak St., were not at the hearing, but they informed him they were taking care of their issues.
Johnny Allen’s sister represented him at the hearing for the property at 115 West Alley. The selectmen recently voted to change the street name to Gertrude’s Garden Alley.
Michael Lewis of 924 Ave. K was also represented.
Allen and Lewis both requested 30 days to take care of their issues, but Green said he plans to recommend they remain on the demolition list. Green specifically noted he saw the 924 Ave. K property recently.
“I was there on the 7th pulling samples for asbestos inspections, and nothing had been done at that time,” he said.
City Administrator David Myers said the McComb Housing Authority has plans for the area where the homes on then-115 and 117 West Alley Lane would be demolished.
“Those homes have been that way for a very, very long time,” he said.
Mayor Quordiniah Lockley said the area could be used to expand Gertrude’s Garden, which is adjacent to the properties.
“Mr. Kevin Brown, from Gertrude’s Garden, has also shown some indication that would like to move down into that area if nothing else happens with that piece of property,” he said. “Of course, he’s doing a wonderful job up there with the kids and Gertrude’s Garden.”
