Thursday, June 6, 2013

County considers dangers posed by dilapidated buildings on Eastpoint waterfront

Franklin County commissioners are trying to figure out how to deal with a number of dilapidated buildings on the Eastpoint waterfront.

The county has heard concerns that some of the buildings may pose a danger to people.

There is already tin from some of the roofs that have blown into pine tree branches along Highway 98 in the middle of Eastpoint and that tin could pose a real risk when we get a storm with strong winds.

Nick Hutchison from Carrabelle said the tin could potentially become a guillotine if the wind is strong enough.

Commissioner Pinki Jackel said she would try to address that problem as quickly as possible – she wanted the commission to approve allowing county workers to remove the tin, but retracted her motion after commissioner Noah Lockley said he wanted to see pictures of the problem before agreeing to let county workers on what is likely private property.

Miss Jackel said she would figure out a way to get the tin removed through hook or crook.

A longer term problem is the number of buildings along the Eastpoint waterfront that are in a very poor state of repair.

Many of them have falling roofs and leaning walls, and almost all of them are bank owned so they are not being maintained.

Commissioner Jackel said she would like to have the buildings inspected and condemned if necessary and then torn down – but the rest of the board wasn’t ready to take that step, especially if it costs county money.

Commissioner Smokey Parrish said the county just doesn’t have the money to tear down buildings – he feels the landowners themselves should clean up their own property.

The board did agree to issue a letter to the banks that own the buildings alerting them to the dangerous buildings and asking that they address the problem as quickly as possible.


Commissioner William Massey said maybe the county should approach the banks about deeding the land to the county and then the county could tear down the buildings and still come out ahead. 

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