Bad Links?
Other glitches?
Notify Webmaster

Crack house bites the dust

By BEN NELMS
bnelms@TheCitizenNews.com

Most demolitions of abandoned houses attract little fanfare and less attendance. But this was no ordinary demolition. It was a project that the property owner, the neighborhood and the community considered a success. Mayor Betty Hannah and representatives from the city council and city government joined residents of the Lightning district of Fairburn to watch as an abandoned residence frequented by drug users and others was demolished June 30. The house was located on Aderhold Street, adjacent to Lightning Park near the intersection at Dodd Street.

Fairburn Property Manager Harvey Stokes said the property owner was in a hardship situation and could not keep the house in repair. The city responded, solving the problem of having the house removed and eliminating a drug haven in the area while providing assistance to the elderly property owners that could not afford to have the house demolished. The city condemned the house for occupancy, said City Administrator Jim Williams, and arranged with several local companies to demolish the house at no cost. Ownership of the property will be retained by the owner, who will be responsible for seeding the lot and keeping the grass cut, Stokes said.

The mayor and council have said the such projects are two-pronged. They remove blighted buildings, thus providing a way for new structures to be built while eliminating areas that become a magnet for illicit uses.

“This is part of the revitalization for this community,” Hannah said. “Abandoned houses can draw people that do undesirable things and that hurt the community.”

Nearby neighbor Rev. Charlie Collier agreed. He said demolition of the property was symbolic of the community coming together.

“It’s wonderful to see this happening here. It’s the beginning of a change for the community and for Fairburn,” he said. “It brings the community together.”

The presence of drugs and drug-related activity is not unknown to the area. As in many towns across America, old abandoned houses can become a refuge for the drug dealing, drug use, violence and illicit activities that scar neighborhoods and hold hostage neighbors that try their best to make the best of the situation.

“The property has been a haven for stolen goods taken in burglaries and it has been used by a criminal element as a crack house,” said Police Chief Charles Long. “Having the house demolished is a good start for the neighborhood in terms of providing fewer places for this type of illegal activity to be conducted.”

Williams said the the Aderhold property was one of several properties around the city in the same or similar condition. Several other properties in a lesser state of disrepair have been remodeled.

“I’m so excited about moving forward with the demolitions of homes that are substandard and irreparable,” he said. “In this case, the owner and the city wanted the property to be cleaned up. It was an example of the perfect kind of community involvement, with all parties working to solve a problem.”

Companies donating their time and equipment in the demolition included Wayne White Construction, Showcase Homes and Remodeling, Inc., BFI Waste Disposal and Safeguard Landfill.