The demolition of a fire-ravaged home at 35 Hiram Street in Wallaceburg is set to be completed next week.
Paul Lacina, the director of building development services in Chatham-Kent, says local contractor Koomans Demolition was awarded the tender to tear down the home.
“We tendered out the work to have the demolition done,” Lacina told the Sydenham Current.
“The demo was awarded to a local contractor, but he can’t go ahead and demolish it until all of the utilities are shut off and we are still waiting for one of the utilities to be shut off.”
Municipal officials told the Sydenham Current that they were hoping to have the demolition completed in September.
However, the contractor experienced a delay with one of the utility companies.
Koomans told the Municipality they were waiting for Union Gas to cut their service to the property, Lacina said.
“Unfortunately our hands are tied when it comes to utilities and their timeliness to get something done,” he said.
Koomans told the Municipality that an asbestos firm was set to be at the property this week and that the demolition will be finished next week, Lacina said.
“We are hoping that the demolition crews can start as soon as possible. Everybody wants it down just as much as the neighbours do,” he said.
Lacina said he couldn’t release the price tag for the demolition work.
“It wasn’t a crazy amount,” he said.
Workers were spotted at the property removing windows on Thursday, October 26:
Work being done at 35 Hiram Street in #Wallaceburg, which is slated for demolition pic.twitter.com/UwOFYUbHJG
— Sydenham Current (@SydenhamCurrent) 26 October 2017
Neighbours concerned about pests
Several neighbours in the Hiram Street area contacted the Sydenham Current, complaining about the condition of the property following the April blaze.
Knee-high grass, rotten food in the backyard, mattresses lying around and raccoons fighting at night, were some of the initial complaints.
Back in July, one neighbour was concerned after finding a dead rat in her backyard.
Fast forward to October, six months after the blaze, and neighbours are still upset about the condition of the property.
Brenda Henry, who lives directly behind 35 Hiram Street, has not been happy with her back yard view.
“For appearances sake, the property at the front of the house is not too bad… but the backyard is an eyesore,” she told the Sydenham Current.
“It would seem that all dead shrubs, weeds, etc. are getting tossed back there and other noxious weeds have taken over as well.”
Many animals have been spotted, heard and smelled at the Hiram Street property as well, Henry said.
“Cats are back there fighting and I don’t believe it was a baby rat that the lady on Hiram St. found in her yard,” she said.
“Those of us who back onto this property have yet to see a rat, but what I do have is regular visits from young opossums that come into my yard to drink from my koi pond… and don’t get me started on the odour that emanates from those other rodent like critters with the white stripe down their back.”
Henry added: “I wonder where all these varmints will scatter to if and when the demolition crew arrives. I hope the Municipality is going to cover the cost of animal/pest removal for all the nearby properties.”
Rodent issues will be taken care of
Lacina told the Sydenham Current the rodent and pest issue won’t be ignored.
“If we are contacted for, this site for example, that is slated for demolition due to whatever the reasons, but there is a rodent issue, it is still the responsibility of the property owner to address that,” Lacina said.
“So we would send a separate order or notice to have them do something, whatever that is. Whether they send out pest control, but they need to address the situation. If the owner isn’t available or has walked away from the property, and we are in that type of situation, the Municipality will then step in and address those concern by whatever means that is to resolve that problem. The cost of that is that is added to the cost of the total demolition.”
Lacina added: “So just because it is slated to demolish, the house or whatever, there may be other factors that are happening on the property and we address them. We don’t just say ‘ah don’t worry about it, it is going to be torn down in a month’.”
What ‘ignited’ the issue
Hiram Street fire in #Wallaceburg 🔥@ckfiredept on the roof batting the blaze pic.twitter.com/uCQigctjmX
— Sydenham Current (@SydenhamCurrent) 22 April 2017
Wallaceburg firefighters responded to a blaze at the property back on April 22.
The Criminal Investigations Unit of the Chatham-Kent Police Service investigated the fire as an arson.
Police officials said there was insufficient evidence to charge any suspects in the case.
Damage was pegged at $100,000.
– Photo credit: Dana Haggith
