Spencer won’t tear down house

SPENCER — Raymond Bostian’s house at 209 S. Rowan Ave. won a reprieve from demolition at Tuesday night’s town board meeting.
The town had threatened to demolish the home, which had fallen into a state of disrepair so severe it failed to meet minimum housing codes.
Bostian’s house, a rental property, was infested with bats and had problems with the plumbing, windows, floors, ceilings and roof.
On Monday, Rob Van Geons, the town’s codes enforcement officer, went with Rowan County building inspector Dan Duganne and one of his assistants to look at the house, along with Bostian.
Bostian had made adequate repairs inside. The county wants to see an interior inspection for the bats, but an exterior inspection has already been made.
Bostian still must repair a badly deteriorated section of the roof.
Mayor Buddy Gettys, who has been pursuing Bostian and frequently calls him a slum lord, still wanted to remove the house, but as Van Geons and town attorney Rivers Lawther pointed out, Bostian responded to the order to make repairs.
If a home needs repairs costing more than 50 percent of its value, the town can condemn and tear it down, Lawther said. The house at 209 S. Rowan has been brought back to a level of repair that would not warrant demolition, he added.
Van Geons said he will send a letter to Bostian about the roof, giving him 30 days to start repairs and 45 days to complete them. If the roof is not fixed in that time, a fine of $50 a day will begin at that point.
Gettys protested that the town is giving Bostian another extension when he has had years of violations. Lawther and Van Geons explained that the repairs had answered the demolition threat and the roof repair had become a new violation.
“I really don’t want a house torn down in the historic district, but I don’t want to give Bostian any slack,” Gettys said.
Van Geons said he thinks Bostian will sell the house. By law, he will be required to tell potential buyers about the roof and other problems.
He also said Bostian has been taking better care of some of his properties in Spencer but faces fines for 414 S. Rowan Ave., where indoor furniture sits on a front porch, a violation of an ordinance passed this summer.
In other business, aldermen upheld a decision by Town Manager Kevin Howard to deny a business license to Pam Leonard. Leonard leases the building at 1001 N. Salisbury Ave. that was the site of a prostitution bust in July.
At the time, Leonard held a license for a dance studio, but Spencer officials determined no such business was being run there and revoked her license.
She has now applied to run a private night club. Howard denied the request. State statutes say he can deny an application if he feels the applicant is not of good character or may intend to deceive the town.
The board voted to support Howard’s decision. Leonard did not appear at the meeting to ask for an appeal.
In other business:
Speeders in Spencer should be on the lookout for a new radar trailer that will clock and display their speeds as they pass by. The equipment also keeps a log of the speeds. The town got a good deal on the trailer, which will be set up soon.
Aldermen approved a contract with architect Karen Alexander to study the library and provide a budget for a renovation project. She offered her services at $85 an hour, for no more than 200 hours. The town has set aside some funds for the project and will use money left over from the Library Park fund.The town will need more money for an asbestos survey.
The town will contract with Water Technology and Controls Inc. to operate the lab at the wastewater treatment plant.
The board approved purchase of various items for the fire department, including a defibrillator, with money left over from the last fire truck purchase.