Warsaw City Council Monday heard concerns about a home on West Fort Wayne Street in Warsaw.
Approximately 10 adjacent property owners and concerned citizens expressed their concerns with the property at 421 W. Fort Wayne St.
Councilman Jerry Patterson said he thinks the home is a fire hazard. He said he went to the property to look at it and found junk cars on the property, old lawn mowers, old tires on the lawn, and the sidewalk blocked with junk.
Martha Sellers, 428 W. Fort Wayne St., presented photos and a video tape of the property to the council.
"The property owner ignores us like we don't even exist, and the home is a fire and health hazard," Sellers said.
Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said he spoke with Building Commissioner Todd Slabaugh about the property and was informed it is scheduled to be reviewed by Hearing Officer Lawrence Clifford at a property hearing Aug. 17 at 1:30 p.m. at city hall. The building and planning department mailed the homeowner a letter July 17 stating he is required to attend the meeting.
"We are trying to get compliance and know the home is an eyesore," Wiggins said.
Wiggins said WPD Officer Mike Cox was at the property Monday and cited the homeowner for blocking the sidewalk with junk.
"I'll have Mike Cox out there everyday if that is what it's going to take," Wiggins said.
Wiggins said the city's city code for general conditions constituting a nuisance states it is the duty of the owners of each lot, part of lot or parcel of land within the city to keep their property free of any environmental nuisance. The code also states the owner must keep the property free from garbage and refuse and trash of any nature or character.
Bernadine Waikel, 422 W. Fort Wayne St., lives across the street from the property and said she had a conversation with the homeowner and he acted like he didn't know why he was being cited.
"It's very disrespectful to our neighborhood and our zoning laws that people can't walk on the sidewalk due to junk being there," Waikel said.
Dewey Lawshe, 1210 E. Center St., also expressed his frustration with the property.
"I'll be honest, if I had someone like that living by me the city had better do something because I will not let my property value go down because of some neighbor trashing the neighborhood," Lawshe said. "We have building codes and it should be enforced and taken care of not later, now."In other business, the council approved an ordinance allowing the position of stormwater coordinator to be created.
The council set a hearing date to review departmental budgets for Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. at city hall.
