North Adams Board of Health Condemns Three Houses
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Health last week issued emergency condemnations of three residential buildings, two of which had been damaged by fires within the last few months.
The single-family Victorian at 129 North St. caught fire Feb. 2 after the owner tried to thaw out frozen water pipes with a blowtorch. The family was forced to flee the building. Director of Health Michael Moore said the owners were getting help from their insurance company in addressing the building's damage.
A second structure at 133 Reed St. was also condemned because of damage from a stove fire on Feb. 11.
A house at 53 Montgomery St. "has been a problem for awhile," Moore told the board, because of water issues in the basement.
The property was abandoned and is now under a property management company and Moore said he has been communicating with the company to see if the mortgage holder is planning to foreclose and resell or demolish it.
In other business, Moore said he has been following up on "typical" housing violations. "There are a lot of repeats and followups," he said. "It's staying on top of them and it's a lot of staying in contact with tenants and landlords."
The Health Department has also been providing packets and information to local restaurants about new regulations that require them to have procedures in place in case of accidents.
"We've created a format they can fill out," Moore said. "This round of inspections was education, then a followup and the next round they'll have to have it in place."
In other business:
- A hazardous waste collection is being planned for August.
- The city's is still working on its hazard mitigation plan, which should make it eligible for some grants.
- Moore reported the new camp regulations were discussed at the recent Berkshire Health Alliance meeting. He said they've gone through several updates and that the city has new inspection forms reflecting those changes.
Tags: BOH, condemned,
