Scottville to discuss condemnation of two houses.

206 N. Columbia Street.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

SCOTTVILLE — Scottville City Commission will discuss specific blighted properties — the commission’s top priority in goals for the year — when it meets this afternoon at 5:30 p.m. The city attorney has drafted resolutions for the commission to consider. 

The commission is considering condemning two houses: 206 S. Columbia Ave. and 127 W. Broadway Ave. Both houses have been in states of disrepair for several years. During the previous regular commission meeting William Schoenlein, owner of Lake Star Group LLC — which owns the house on Columbia Avenue — addressed the commission and stated he had begun repairs. He stated that the commission would be acting beyond its constitutional rights and violating his, if it proceeded with condemnation. 

City Manager Amy Williams wrote, in a pre-meeting memo, stated that the owner of the house on Broadway has provided an outline of repairs she plans on making. Williams told the commission that it will need to decide how to proceed.

Williams said she has also received a letter from a Custer Township resident on South Bean Road complaining about three houses on that road that are in blighted conditions. Bean street is the city-township line.

“In regards to the one home, I had sent a letter to the owner about a tarp on the roof being held down with tires,” Williams said. “He finally called me a week ago and noted that he will be making needed repairs to the roof in the next week or two. As for the other two properties in question they are owned by the same person.  One of them they live in while the other is vacant and not livable as it sits today.  They have pulled building permits on each of them and are only currently working on the one they live in.  The Ordinance Committee did review these properties and felt there were others within the city with more priority in regards to demolition. The one home that is not livable should probably just be demolished; I can’t see where it is really not viable for fixing up.  We may want to look at that one to go after such as we did with the above two, especially if we allow those owners to work to fix them up.”

Williams said she has been trying to contact the two state agencies that may be able to assist city homeowners with needed repairs.

“Unfortunately to date they have not gotten back with me on what programs they offer, but I did learn a county-wide housing task force is being set-up, I’ve been asked to sit on that so I’m hoping this will help us move forward with our blighted properties.”