[StBernard] Council Approves Demolition of 320 Unsafe Structures

[Westley Annis]

Council Approves Demolition of 320 Unsafe Structures 

November 17, 2005

By: Steve Cannizaro


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Council approves demolition of 320 unsafe properties and will start Monday,
Nov. 21, with a list of owners who want their structures demolished. 
St. Bernard's Parish Council has approved demolition of the first batch of 
properties determined to be structurally unsafe, totaling 320 of them, but 
no starting date has been set for the work

Also, on Monday, Nov. 21, a list will be started of owners who want their 
structures to be demolished.

The Council voted to initiate the process of demolition involving 320 
structures that have been deemed 100 percent damaged and in imminent danger 
of collapse.

The process involves notifying owners of the structures that inspectors have

determined are so structurally unsound they need to be demolished. Property 
owners can appeal such a designation, officials have said. They said FEMA 
will use their records to help to get phone numbers where owners can be 
reached.

Demolition will be done without a charge to property owners, Council members

have said.

Inspectors have filed reports with parish government on some 18,000 
structures out of about 40,000 in St. Bernard Parish.

Mike Hunnicutt, director of community development for parish government, 
said owners can review inspection reports on a data base to be kept at what 
will be called an Office of Demolition, which will be on the second-floor of

the parish government building in Chalmette, at 8201 West Judge Perez Drive.

The building is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

People who want to get on a list to have their home or business structure 
demolished must sign a form giving permission, Hunnicutt said. The person 
must provide a photo identification such as a driver's license or state I.D.

card or have a form notarized, he said.