Three downtown property owners have been cited for several violations of the town’s minimum housing code. One of the houses still has tenants.
The gray house at 122 Brooks Street is owned by Gregory J. Bartholomew, who inherited it from his mother, Elixabeth Bartholomew, who in turn had inherited it from Florence Frazier.
The violations cited by Larry Rochelle, a senior code official and minimum housing inspector for the Wake Forest Inspections Department, are: “Open to the public, Broken and missing glass, Missing stairs front porch, Missing pickets front porch, Missing guard rails rear porch, Rear porch framing is deteriorated, Water standing under house, Exterior Is not weather tight- siding falling off.”
John E. Wooten III and Wanda Wooten have owned the house at 407 Wait Avenue since 1977. The violations Rochelle cites are: “Front door missing glass, Siding missing front, Exterior walls have peeling paint, Broken or missing window panes, Porch boards deteriorated.”
Thomas and Susie Albright have owned the house at 413 Wait Avenue since 2002. Rochelle cited the violations as: “Exterior walls have peeling paint, broken window panes, windows can not be covered with plywood with house occupied.”
Rochelle announced the citations during the Wake Forest Town Board’s budget work session Thursday, June 4. This week he said, “The next step is up to the board [of commissioners]. They can order the owners to do the repairs, tell us to do the repairs [and charge the owners for the cost], or leave it like it is.”
An item about the citations is not on the draft agenda the commissioners approved Thursday, but it could be added at the beginning of their meeting Tuesday, June 16.
The budget does not include the new position for an inspector Inspections Director J.J. Carr had requested, but the department did get praise. “People say they [the inspectors] are so easy to work with,” Commissioner Anne Reeve said, and Acting Town Manager Roe O’Donnell added, “Some of that has to do with leadership.”
It was also noted that several of the inspections staff serve on the boards for state inspections groups. Rochelle is a member of the board for the N.C. Association of Housing Code Officials, Dale Pruitt is on the board of the N.C. Plumbing Inspectors Association, Allen Cooley serves on the board for the N.C. Mechanical Inspectors Association, and Eric Wiseman is a board member for the N.C. Fire Marshal’s Association.
