HOULTON, Maine — Town Councilors on Tuesday evening gave the nod to the town manager to proceed with plans to find a demolition crew to take down two buildings in the community.
After brief discussion during the meeting, councilors voted unanimously to put out a bid to secure a firm to tear down two unsafe buildings at 29 High Street and 31 High Street. The buildings are owned by Joan M. Wylie and the town is interested in trying to recoup the costs of the removal.
Wylie owes property taxes to the town on both houses totaling $1,837.
Town Manager William MacDonald said that he had gotten the go ahead to proceed with the process after consulting the town attorney and having property inspections and engineering studies done. MacDonald said that once the buildings are down, the town could seize the land and sell the lots to recoup costs.
According to records, the property at 31 HIgh Street is valued at $14,200, while the other is valued at $8,600. Each adjacent lots each have a two story structure with peeling paint and boarded up or broken windows.
In addressing the councilors during the meeting, Marilyn Roper said that she and her husband have a home for sale at 35 High Street, and that she didn’t think the property would sell until the neighboring buildings were gone.
“I am happy about this,” she said. “The process should have been started decades ago. The two buildings are unsafe, there are animals living in them and they are an eyesore.”
She added that the building at 31 High Street is coming off of its foundation and leaning into a neighbor’s property.
She noted that the town of Danforth had burned down a decrepit home last year and wondered if the town could get the Houlton Fire Department to burn down the High Street properties.
The idea did not gain traction during the meeting.
“I don’t think that is a good idea,” said MacDonald. “High Street is pretty tight quarters, so it wouldn’t be safe.”
He also said that asbestos in the buildings needed to be removed before they could be torn down.
Council Chairman Robert McCluskey said that he has lived on High Street since 1989 and does not believe that anyone has lived in the properties since then.
