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Home on road to demolition can be used again, Warren council hears

A house once on the road to demolition may soon become a home once again, following action taken by the Warren Town Council on Monday, Feb. 13.

The long-vacant house, at 907 N. Main St. in Warren, has a history of neglect, foreclosure and unpaid taxes. The Huntington Countywide Department of Community Development (DCD) cited the home for structural and other problems. When necessary repairs were not done, the town council voted last December to take bids for demolition.

But DCD representative Marla Stambazze attended the council’s meeting on Monday to announce that repairs have been made, chickens and ducks have been removed from the property and the house is being purchased by new owners who are anxious to move in.

“I will tell you right now it is a safe structure,” Stambazze told the council.

The only thing that’s missing, she said, is a signed letter from a licensed electrician vouching for the electrical work done in the house.
Council members voted to put the demolition order on hold for 30 days to allow time for the new owners to submit the electrician’s letter. Once that is submitted, the order will be lifted, council members said.

However, Stambazze said, no progress has been made on repairs to another Warren house, this one at 315 N. Main St. The council took no action on that structure.

The council also heard from Warren resident Mike Haggerty on a possible beautification project along the banks of the Salamonie River and plans for the Salamonie Summer Festival.

Haggerty says he’d like to organize a cleanup and beautification project along the Salamonie River where a logjam resulted in erosion of the river bank in mid-January, taking out an electric pole and causing a power outage. Chunks of concrete were placed along the bank to halt the erosion.
Haggerty suggested covering the concrete chunks with a layer of rock to improve the look of the bank. Warren Utility Manager Lee Poulson said any beautification would have to wait until repairs at that location are completed.

Haggerty said he already has some volunteers willing to help and is planning a dinner on April 22, Earth Day, to raised funds for the Salamonie Summer Festival and would like to coordinate a volunteer river cleanup in conjunction with that dinner.

Two events during this summer’s festival, Haggerty said, could bring increased traffic to town. Haggerty, a board member of Warren Health and fitness, said events sponsored by that facility on July 1 and July 4 could bring more than 1,000 competitors to town.

And the festival committee is working to stage a concert at Tower Park prior to the July 4 fireworks. The concert, too, could draw a large number of people, he said.

In other business:

• A Warren resident inquired about the possibility of paving an alley between 10th and 9th streets, where traffic is increasing because of a nearby construction project.

Poulson said that paving project could be considered, but the immediate priority is paving 11th Street.

• Council approved a contract with Linker Construction for $22,500 to build a new well house, a contract with Peerless Midwest for $58,471 to supply and install a new well and piping and a contract with Kleenco for $12,000 to coordinate and inspect the project.

• Poulson, who also serves as chief of the Warren Volunteer Fire Department, received permission to purchase two new radios at a cost of $5,300.

• In his capacity as utility manager, Poulson received permission to pay $3,800 to replace a leaky, moldy roof at the water plant, spend about $13,350 on six new street lights and poles to be placed on 2nd Street and to buy a new Bobcat at a cost of $36,664.