Clean up South Fayette Street demolition mess, mayor says
Beckley WV, mayor says the dangerous mess left behind from a Raleigh County demolition accident has set on South Fayette Street far too long, and he wants it cleaned up — now.
During Tuesday night’s Beckley Common Council meeting, Mayor Emmett Pugh expressed his concerns with the debris left behind from a June 9 accident during Raleigh County’s downtown demolitions for a new judicial annex. That Saturday afternoon, a wall being torn down crashed through a building at the intersection of South Fayette and McCreery streets. That building was not scheduled for demolition.
“We weren’t involved in this one, but after four weeks, Fayette Street is closed and that (debris) is still setting there,” Pugh said.
“...I want it taken down. ... Nothing is happening.’
“...If we don’t get this going, this could be going on in August or September. It’s almost a joke now.”
Pugh said both his office and the code enforcement department have both received complaints from citizens about the blocked street.
Bob Cannon, the city’s chief zoning officer, said there are essentially two options when dealing with the mess. The nearest dump for any asbestos-tainted material is in Peterstown. The city could obtain an emergency order and have all materials treated as having asbestos — but that would cost around $40,000 just for transportation to Peterstown. Removing items only tainted with asbestos and taking them to Peterstown would be cheaper, but that would require obtaining a 10-day notice from the West Virginia Division of Air Quality.
The building’s inside, Pugh believes, is too dangerous to have someone go inside and pick out parts with asbestos. He asked Board of Public Works Director Robert Robinson if he would send one of his employees inside. Robinson replied it was not safe enough.
Pugh said the building accidentally demolished is owned by Beckley Water Company, and they would be primarily responsible for getting rid of the debris. He noted, however, that the Raleigh County Commission’s insurance agency also has a role because of reimbursement to the water company.
The city could go through Beckley Municipal Court and obtain an order for the water company to take the building down, Pugh said. City officials do not want to have to do that — but meanwhile, a dangerous site remains out in the open — with a structure in danger of further collapse and asbestos.
While the city would not be liable for any injuries at the site, city officials do not want to see that happen, either. An off-duty officer had been paid by one of the insurance companies to guard the site for three weeks, but Police Chief Tim Deems informed Pugh the company told the department an officer was no longer needed.
“A couple of kids could get in and get killed,” Pugh said. “We will patrol the area like normal, but we will not have an officer stationed out there at night.’
“...If we do that, someone’s getting a bill.”
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