An update about an enforcement effort at 204 W. Bender Street when was provided to the Knox Board of Works when members met last Wednesday.
During their May meeting, Board of works members determined that a dilapidated garage located on that property should be demolished, as was originally stated in an order issued by Director of Building and Code Compliance Kenny Pfost back in April.
At that meeting, the property owner Lucia Valladares provided board members with an engineer’s report that indicated the building was salvageable. She stated that she received a quote for the repair work and it would be less costly than demolishing it and erecting a new structure.
Valladares asked board members to consider rescinding the order to demolish
However, after some discussion, members decided to stand by Pfost’s order to demolish with a vote of 2-1, with Mayor Dennis Estok and Board member Jim Collins approving it and Board member Steve Dodge providing the lone oppositional vote.
Once the decision was made, Valladares indicated that she planned to appeal the decision.
When members met for their July meeting, Mayor Estok asked City Attorney Autumn Ferch were they were in the process. She responded that the appeal was initially filed in the wrong court so the process is still ongoing.
Ferch explained that the owner has since filed a ‘transfer of venue’ which is currently pending. She noted that Porter County approved the transfer, so now they’re just waiting for it to be transferred to Starke Circuit Court before they can proceed any further.
