Farmington building owner has three weeks to develop repair plan

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FARMINGTON – The owner of the building which has been at the center of debate for a series of selectmen meetings has been given three more weeks to develop a plan to fix several code violations.

Joel Batzell, the owner of the building at 103 Bridge Street in West Farmington, has been given until the April 14 board of selectmen meeting to have fully developed plans to bring his building’s heating and electrical systems up to code.

If Batzell has not accomplished these goals by April 14, selectmen have unanimously decided to take legal action.

Problems began in October, when a woman complained that she was injured at Batzell’s residence, after falling down a ladder which provides access to part of the building. The house is a well-known landmark in Farmington, located directly next to the West Farmington end of Center Bridge.

An investigation by the state Fire Marshal’s Office found several safety violations that included an insufficient chimney for the oil furnace, exposed electrical wiring and the over-use of extension cords throughout the structure, unsafe stairs, narrow hallways, lack of the correct construction material barrier between the living and storage areas that can delay a fire from spreading and escape egresses, according to the report.

Selectmen met with Batzell at their Nov. 25, 2008 meeting, entering into a consent agreement that gave him 60 days to submit a work plan and fix the list of violations. On Jan. 27, selectmen granted Batzell, who did not attend the meeting, a 30-day extension. Then, on March 10, selectmen met again with Batzell and were informed that progress was being made.

Code Enforcement Officer Steve Kaiser reported then that Batzell was developing a work plan and was working with Western Maine Community Action and the USDA’s rural development renovation program to secure funding. Batzell, who attended the meeting, said he was interested in fixing up the property.

“As you come over the bridge, it really looks like crap,” Batzell told selectmen on March 10. “I’m trying to fix it up.”

However, Batzell was also required, by the state, to develop a plan of action to make all of the repairs and to provide certification by a licensed electrician and a structural engineer that the wiring and building met the state’s fire code standards.

Tuesday, Kaiser told the board that hadn’t happened yet.

“They still haven’t finalized the full scope of the work that needs to be done,” Kaiser said. “They really need to do that.”

Kaiser reported that the State Electrical Inspector Peter Pelletier had repeatedly tried to meet with Batzell, in order to review which aspects of the building’s electrical systems needed repair. That had not happened.

Similarly, Kaiser said that WMCA representatives were trying to meet with Batzell to examine the building as part of their Central Heating Improvement Project funding process. The WMCA program, CHIP, had been a source of potential funding for Batzell’s repairs. Their calls hadn’t been returned.

“We want to make sure that he is following through with this,” Kaiser said. “He needs to step up to the plate and get these things done. This goes back to last October.”

With that in mind, the board unanimously voted to have Batzell develop a repair plan for the heating system and electrical system, what Kaiser described as “high hazard items,”  by April 14. If the plans aren’t ready, the town may proceed with the matter in the courts. That would be essentially the same process, with the court setting deadlines and goals, but would be backed with legal authority and consequences. 

The court could also bar guests from staying at Batzell’s residence until repairs are complete. One of the board’s principle concerns has been that tenants were staying at 103 Bridge Street, with these safety violations.

 

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1 Comment

  1. That has been the biggest eye sore in Farmington for years. Get him to clean it up or tear it down. Makes Farmington look really trashy.

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