City Officials Wage Strong Condemnation Drive On Sub-Standard Housing
By DAV WAI.TKRS
Klamath Falls officials are
wagin? a continuing campaign to
rid the city of substandard build
ings. Armed with copies of the Uni
form Building Code, inspectors
from the office of chief build
ing inspector. Verne Schortgen.
have had more than 100 buildings
in the city demolished within
the pist yea and a half.
About half of these buildings
were destroyed after condemna
tion proceedings, while the oth
ers were burned or torn down
voluntarily by the owners after
being advised to do so by the
building inspector's office.
Schortgen says the campaign
is designed to "upgrade the city."
But this drive has not met
with the blessing of at least
some of the landlords.
One. Frank R. Weaver, was
visibly ancered last week ulu.n
the city council condemned four
of fiv? cabins he owns on Port
land Street. He read
denouncing the action and the
meeting had to be called to or
der at one point.
The Portland Street structures
are typical of the buildings that
nave been demolished in the last
year and a half.
Most of tliem are small fram
buildings which are rented
cheaply to low-income families.
Although there is no "slum"
wher the substandard structures
are in great number, certain
sections of the city North Side
for one do contain more than
other sections.
Most of the buildings were
built a number of years ago as
fhean hnnonn tnr an inflnv nf
lumber workers. Many of them
are converted garages.
Although they are substandard
for different reasons, all have
one thing in common neglect.
For instance, says Schortgen, a
house in otherwise good condi
tion and worth thousands of dol
lars may be considered sub
standard if windows are broken
and the house left open.
Homes that are suspect come
to the attention of the buildine
inspector from many sources
inciufling routine checks oy nis
staff.
The insoertnrs are cuiflpd in
their evaluations by a section of
the Uniform Building Code, which
was adopted by the city in its
Mr7 ,
present form in I960. The code
is also tlie law in many other
cities.
Section 20.1 of the code lays
down the conditions for a sub
standard building.
Tlie section slates:
"All buildings or structures
which are structurally unsafe or
not provided with adequate egress
or which constitute a fire hazard
or are otherwise dangerous to
human life, or which in relation
to existing use constitute a haz
ard to safety or health, or public
welfare by reason of inadequate
maintenance, dilapidation, obso
lescence or abandonment, as spe
cified in this code or any other
effective ordinance, are, for the
purpose of this section, unsafe
buildings. All such unsafe build
ings are hereby declared to be
public nuisances and shall be
abated by repair, rehabilitation,
demolition or removed in accord
ance with the procedure specified
in subsections ib, (c) and id) of
this section."
These delinitions cover a mul
titude of sins, and Schorgen says buildings which may he injuri
tliat if he was out to enforce aious to lives or nronertv.
vendetta against property owners. I As an examole. Schorluen rites
prolMhy a neat percentage of he case o( ,,x2,.(oot shack ;
the buildings in the cty could be hlch , Hliman and nor four ch1.
Idren were living. He said the
MRS. WII.I.ARD M1TCHKLL of
Poplarville. Miss., visited her sis
ter. Mrs. liay Wharton, 6800 South
Sixth, (or a week before return
ing home.
41 .t.
HOUSES BURNED This vacant lot on Michigan Avenue was left by the recent burn
ing or tearing down of several houses which were condemned after being declared
substandard by a city building inspector. More than 100 buildings in the city have been
destroyed within the past year and a half after being condemned.
City Briefs
CUTTING THE HIM, GRASS
FRANKFORT, Ky. - The Ken
tucky Department of Highways is
using four self-propelled machines
with mountain goat characteris-
tics to cut grass and weeds along
steep slopes of interstate and turn
pike routes in Eastern Kentucky.
The mowers will cut going up
hill at angles approaching 90 de
grees and down-hill at 80-degree
angles.
condemned.
receiving money from the coun
ty welfare department and
Schortgen says she is typical of
the residents of these houses.
When a building is determined
to be substandard, Schortgcn's of-
nut, the building inspector savs bulllline wa dividoH into funMirx notifies the nuuer
his oflue is more concerned with; sections kitchen and bathroom. I In some cases, a few repairs
the spirit of the section, which land sleeping quarters. land cleaning will bring (lie struc-
is to protect the public from The woman in this cae was I tines up to par.
r -... ml , .
But in the majority, demolition
is the only answer because the
buildings are not worth the re
pairs that would be necessary.
In about half of these cases,
the property owners agree to de
stroy the buildings with no ac
tion taken.
Destruction by burning is the
cheapest and most effective meth
od, since there is generally noth
ing worth salvaging from the
structures.
Off-duty firemen are hired to
conduct the burning and are paid
directly by the owner.
In many cases, the houses are
owned by persons who live out-of-to'vn
It is frequently difficult
(or the building inspector to con
tact them, or if able to contact
them, get their cooperation.
Alo, many of the property
owners refuse to voluntarily cor
rect the situations.
In a case where voluntary de
molition can not be secured.
Schorl con files condemnation pro
ceedings with the city council and
a hearing is scheduled.
These hearings have been regu
lar features on the city council
agenda during the past lew
years.
Alter the hearing in which all
sides of the question are heard
the council decides whether to
condemn the building in question
If the building is condemned
the owner has up to tiO days to
destroy it and clear the land. -
He may apnlv for an extension
under certain circumstances. ' '
If the destruction order i& not
followed. Schortgen initiates pro
ceedings to demolish the building.
Again, off-duty firemen are
used for these jobs and the
buildings are burned after all
valuables are removed.
A lien is olaced aeainst the
empty lot that is left and if the
landowner does not pay the de
molition costs voluntarily, the
land is sold at auction. Demoli
tion costs are deducted from the
sale price and the balance is
returned to tlie owner.
Tlie camraim to clear sub
standard buildings from the city
is not one which will likely slow
down in coming vears. Each
year brings its crop of build
ings upon wnicn action will nave
to be taken.
CONDEMNED Four of these Portland Street cabins owned by Frank R. Weaver
were ordered condemned by the city council last week as part of a continuing cam
paign to rid the city of substandard structures. They are typical of the buildings that
have been destroyed through city action within the last year and a half.
HERALD AND NEWS, Klamath Falls, Oregon
Wednesday, August 14, 196,1
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