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Pair of New Maysville buildings likely to be razed
In disrepair for years, the building that formerly house the New Maysville store is facing demolition by the county.
The store is one of two buildings in the tiny Jackson Township town likely to be razed later this year.
The store, located at 6745 E. CR 900 North, and a house just around the corner at 8948 E. CR 675 East have been deemed unsafe by county officials, who are attempting to move forward with demolishing the buildings.
“It’s been kind of on the BZA’s (Board of Zoning Appeals) list for a year or so,” Commissioner Rick Woodall said Monday.
Both buildings are still listed in the name of Delbert and Joyce Turner, who are deceased. They are now owned by a nephew who lives in Tennessee. The county has sent multiple certified letters to the nephew but has received no responses.
The question now, and one of the reasons the item was on the commissioners’ agenda, is how to pay for demolition.
Since passing the unsafe building ordinance, the county has gone through with demolition just once -- on a building in Brick Chapel in late 2018. However, that job came in at less than $10,000.
This work is estimated to cost more than $20,000.
The planning department should have a building fund that could take care of this sort of thing, but there is currently no line item.
Longer term, the commissioners hope to add that line item for the 2020 budget.
In the meantime, no immediate funding source was determined for this particular demolition, though the county will move forward in pursuing its options.
The bottom line is, the buildings appear to be beyond repair and BZA has determined the problem needs a solution.
“The BZA as the enforcement authority has said, this needs to be torn down,” Woodall said.
In other business:
• The commissioners appointed Joe Cooper of Greencastle to the Putnam County Airport Authority Board.
Both Cooper and Bill Mentgen submitted resumes to represent the commissioners on the board.
“Both of them have an interest in aviation,” Woodall said. “I think either one of them would be a fine addition.”
With David Berry nominating Cooper, the motion passed 3-0.
• The commissioners also unanimously appointed Greencastle Community Schools Director of Special Education Kim Sullivan to the Statewide Child Protection Team.
• An amendment to the 2020 Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) plan was approved.
The plan had included $150,000 to Putnam County EMS. That amount has been changed to $175,000.
The corresponding change to the EDIT plan was a reduction to the EDIT Warchest, bringing the total contribution to $335,093.75.
• County Highway Supervisor Mike Ricketts reported there will be bids on new dump trucks ready to be opened for the commissioners’ next meeting.
The county plans to purchase six new dump trucks in 2020, with a large portion of the up-front cost coming from EDIT funds.
Ricketts also said he recently turned in the county’s application for a Community Crossings grant, a week in advance of the deadline.
The county is seeking $1 million in Community Crossings funds, with the county paying the additional 25 percent as part of the matching program.
The plan involves a little more than 12 miles being resurfaced through the funds, which includes:
- Bainbridge-Roachdale Road from Bainbridge to County Road 1000 North in Monroe and Franklin townships;
- West Walnut Street Road from Greencastle to County Road 450 West in Greencastle and Madison townships;
- Lonestar Road from Manhattan Road to Bridge 122 in Greencastle Township;
- Golf Course Road (1100 South) From State Road 42 to Meridian Line Road in Cloverdale Township; and
- County Road 1000 East from 400 South to 600 South in Jefferson Township.
Ricketts said the Community Crossings grant announcements came in March or April last year.