Owners of property in downtown Demopolis will have 45 days to tell the city their plan for getting their building up to code.
The Demopolis City Council April 16 approved a letter giving property owners 45 days to tell the city council what “known or suspected issues requiring correction” exist on their property and what they plan to do about it.
Property owners must also submit a timeline for completing their actions and any temporary measures they will take in the meantime “to improve safety, appearance or stability” of their building, according to the letter.
“The council may approve a proposed timeline as submitted, approve it with modifications or request additional information as needed,” the letter states.
The letter notes that the “enforcement of certain property maintenance codes and ordnances has not always been as consistent as it should have been,” but “the city council has now taken formal action to correct that inconsistency.”
The Demopolis City Council on March 5 adopted a resolution reaffirming the city’s intent to enforce all applicable building codes.
“This letter is intended to provide notice of that renewed enforcement effort while also extending an opportunity for cooperation and voluntary compliance,” the letter states.
The letter, as well as a vote to purchase a parking lot across Walnut Avenue from City Hall, are efforts to make good on promises to H&M Construction Co. LLC, who is planning to spend several million dollars to renovate the historic George’s Building at the corner of N. Walnut Avenue and E. Washington Street for its corporate offices.
Shawn Hall, managing member of H&M, told the Black Belt News Network when the renovation plans were announced on March 9 that the company wanted assurances from the city that they would hold neighboring property owners accountable for maintaining their buildings.
“We don’t want to spend millions of dollars to move downtown, and the buildings around us are falling down,” Hall said in March. “We’re not looking to hurt any business. We want to keep our investment safe for the future.”
“Property owners who voluntarily come forward, submit a reasonable plan and make good-faith progress may be given additional time to complete corrective work and may be treated with greater flexibility than those who do not respond or do not cooperate,” the letter states. “The city wants to encourage self-reporting and proactive efforts to correct violations wherever possible.”
“However, please understand that submission of a plan does not automatically excuse or permanently waive violations, and failure to submit a plan, failure to obtain approval or failure to follow through on an approved plan may result in formal enforcement action,” the letter states.
No action is required if the property owner believes the property is in “full compliance” with building codes.
“The City’s goal is to work in good faith with property owners who respond promptly, communicate honestly, and make measurable progress toward compliance,” according to the letter.
H&M also wanted help finding a parking lot for its 22 employees who will be working in the downtown office, and the city came through by spending $100,000 to purchase a vacant lot next door to the Strother Building on Walnut.
Demopolis Mayor Woody Collins said the city will lease parking spots to H&M, and other spots will be available for downtown visitors.
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