FARMINGTON – Farmington selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday night to take action against the owners of a building at 139 Philbrick St. that has been deemed dangerous.
The owners were notified in a certified letter dated Aug. 5 of the hearing but failed to appear.
The letter states that the owners were asked to have the electrical and heating systems inspected and approved by licensed contractors. This has not been done, said Steve Kaiser, code enforcement officer for the town.
Kaiser started the process of rectifying the trailer’s safety issues last fall, he said. He met with the owners, who made minor improvements but have not yet brought the residence up to code. He added that the trailer was initially placed on the lot without the required permit.
He also pointed out that an addition to the building does not meet right-of-way boundary setback requirements from Route 2 and will need to be removed.
It was unclear Tuesday whether the property is currently occupied, although Kaiser said there had been children living there during the past year. He said he thought it was only intermittently occupied at this time.
Mary Wright, chair of the selectmen, said she would feel responsible if they did not take action and something happened – referring to a possible fire.
“It’s a life-saving law,” she said of the 1999 zoning ordinance that covers the trailer.
Selectmen decided to give the owners seven days to provide them with a plan, including information on contractors they intend to use to inspect and repair the property. They allowed 30 days to make the repairs and receive an approved inspection.
If nothing is done within this time frame, the town could remove the building and charge the owners for any costs incurred in doing so.
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