The Hillsdale City Council voted to demolish the remains of the house at 48 Greenwood St. destroyed by fire at a public hearing April 18. The Greenwood house was one of three “blight properties” the council voted to demolish, the other two being 128 S. Manning St. and 240 E. South St.
“I can’t see why you would tear something down that cost so much to build,” said Mary Smith, the owner of the house on the Greenwood property. “All I’m asking for is a little bit more time because it is getting cleaned up. I’ve been there a long time. I just can’t let it go. I’d to have to leave Hillsdale after all these years because I can’t keep my basement or my garage.”
Smith’s house burned down in May 2012, leaving only a basement and unroofed garage-like structure. Since 2015, the city has been attempting to remove the remaining structures from the property, first giving a citation in April and then issuing a court order in June requesting the structures be demolished.
Despite the city’s decision about the property’s safety, Smith still opposes the city’s claim that her property is a danger to the community.
“They say it’s been bothering the public like it’s a nuisance or something,”she said. “Most people didn’t even know there was a house back there because from the street you can’t even see it. Especially in the summer — I have an acre of woods in front of it that covers it completely.”
City Assessor Kim Thomas said the city will not seize Smith’s land, but will only seize control of the property in order to expedite the debris removal process.
“We’re not trying to take her property. The only thing we’re asking to do is clean up the property and remove the structure which is there right now,” she said.
City Attorney Tom Thompson explained if Smith cedes control of her land to the city, Hillsdale will receive a grant from the state to clean up the damage done to her property.
“This actually helps the property owner because it pays for the cleanup process,” he said.
Councilman Bruce Sharp explained the motion to destroy the Greenwood house was part of the city’s larger effort to ensure public safety.
“This has been on our radar for quite a while. There are a lot of ‘blight properties’ in Hillsdale — we’re not picking on you, we’re just going through the list,” he said.
Sharp added that other properties pose similar dangers to the public.
“The house on South Manning Street, it’s a safety issue, I’ve noticed there’s no fence around it and the basement is wide open,” he said. “I’m afraid some kid could fall in at night.”
Councilman Adam Stockford expressed sympathy for Smith’s situation, but believes she would fare better if she let the city intervene.
“I don’t want to vote to take an elderly woman’s property away from her if she wants to keep it but I don’t understand how you could have a clear path to getting this property cleaned up,” he said.