The Chandler City Council held an emergency meeting on Tuesday, March 25, for a public hearing on the state of two historic buildings on Manvel.
While they did not take action at this time, they did set another public hearing to determine whether the buildings can be repaired or should be demolished on April 8 during the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting.
No action was taken as City Attorney Larry Lenora stated at the beginning of the meeting that the City must give the owners at least 10 days’ notice before being able to take action.
On March 19, a wind gust lifted and peeled back a metal roof on top of 1216 Manvel, damaging an OG&E power line in the alley behind it and a gas line, according to Code Enforcement Officer Scott Wintz. This caused the power outage that affected a portion of Chandler, and also disrupted service for COTC and AT&T clients. The roof is currently still hanging off the back of the building.
The Lincoln County Hospital, located at 1218 Manvel, had to be evacuated. Currently, they are not allowed to do business out of their building until action is taken to make the area safer.
The City hired an independent contractor from KFC Engineering to inspect the buildings, said Wintz. He said it was his opinion that both buildings be condemned, and while some of the damage was due to the winds, other issues were due to years of decay. He also reported that the only permit issued to either building was a plumbing permit for a gas pipe, and there was no permit issued for the addition of the metal roof or remodeling.
Owner Larry Don Braswell spoke at the hearing, along with John Givens, who still has the title through a contract for deed. Braswell took ownership in 2014 and said the property is on the historic registry. He said he felt “railroaded” by the hearing as he hadn’t received any letters or complaints on the property.
He spoke about his intentions to fix up the property and stated he had already begun preparations.
Braswell added that he was under the impression he wasn’t allowed to go into the buildings to do repairs as they were condemned.
Theresa McKinzie, owner of the Lincoln County Animal Hospital, also spoke, recounting issues she’s had over the years with bricks from the neighboring building damaging her roof, stating that she informed Givens of these issues, and he said he had taken care of them. The damage has severely impacted her business and livelihood, she said.
The Council told the owners that they were responsible for making the necessary changes to make the buildings safe for the good of the public and so that the veterinary clinic could return to normal business.
Both Braswell and Givens agreed they would start repairs and take safety measures before the next meeting.