Horror Show at 207 Mason Avenue

The proposed yogurt shop at 207 Mason has been a thorn in the side of the town for several years. The original special use permit to build apartments above the commercially zoned storefront expired in late 2015, and the town had to approve a second one on January 21, 2016. Over the years, the building official has had to work with the property owner on numerous building code issues. Due to the deteriorating nature of the structure, the town requested that the property owner bring in a structural engineer to conduct an evaluation of 207. The report, received this month, indicated the building is in dire condition, and that demolition may be required in some areas.

The general condition of the roof is reported to be fair, however several supporting roof members have suffered water damage due to water leaks and will need to be replaced. The storefront construction also has some water damage at the base of the walls.

The new construction at the rear of the building was not built in compliance with the structural drawings and will need be brought up to code or be demolished.

Looking through glass, you can see that the remaining part of the building is open to the elements. According to the report, the rear of the building needs to be brought into compliance and closed off to prevent further deterioration by exposure to the elements.

At the April 20th Town Council Regular Meeting, council voted to revoke the special use permit. This does not prevent the owner from pursuing by-right commercial development on the first floor.

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Wayne Creed

Administrator

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