Work on old Neece home progressing

The owners of a historic Clarendon home are making progress complying with goals set forth by city officials, according to information presented at last Thursday’s city council meeting.

Linda Lewis updated aldermen on work being done to the old Neece house at 602 S. Bugbee and predicted that much of the debris associated with demolition on the property would be gone this week.

One outbuilding has been razed from the property, and a wooden water tank has also been removed. One balcony on the home was completely removed, and a second was partially removed before an infestation of bees shut work down on that part of the project.

A garage on the north side of the property was originally scheduled for demolition, but Lewis said its masonry walls are solid. The roof has been removed, and the building is secured from entry, but Lewis asked that structure be moved into Phase 2 of the work outlined by the city. That would give her three years to finish out that building and put a roof on it.

The council agreed to Lewis’ request regarding the garage, and asked her to clean up the east and north fence line as part of Phase 1. She will update city officials again at their June 25 meeting.

In other code compliance work, Code Officer Will Jordan recommended a condemnation order on the former Ruby Bromley home at 702 S. Carhart. The back of the house is falling in, and animals and vagrants are gaining access to the structure. Attempts to contact the home’s owner, Carol Holden, have proven unsuccessful.

City Administrator David Dockery recommended the city adopt a comprehensive demolition plan for Clarendon before proceeding further on the Holden property. He and Jordan will contact the City of Wellington which recently adopted such a plan.

In other city business, the council approved a bid from Prater’s Heating & Air to replace the heating and cooling at City Hall, appointed Dr. Matt Halsey as the city’s rabies authority, approved a contract with Greenbelt Water Authority to sell groundwater to the authority for 53¢ per thousand gallons – an increase of 8¢, and elected Alderman Sandy Skelton as the city’s mayor pro-tem.