[StBernard] St. Bernard's demolition list down to about 2, 500 buildings

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard's demolition list down to about 2,500 buildings
Friday, September 29, 2006
St. Bernard bureau

The list of St. Bernard Parish structures condemned for demolition has been
pared to about 2,500 in recent weeks, parish officials said. 

Early this month, nearly 3,700 houses and businesses were on the list. 

Dave Peralta, the parish's chief administrative officer, said many owners
have come to the parish to ask that their homes be removed from the list.
Also, he said, some homes were mistakenly put on the list. 

 
The parish has begun putting large yellow stickers with a red X on listed
structures the council has condemned for demolition. The structures
eventually will be demolished. Owners of structures razed after Dec. 31
could face having to pay for a share of the demolition costs, the parish
said. 

The parish has demolished some 2,000 structures on a "voluntary" demolition
list. The cost of tearing down those on the voluntary list is covered by
FEMA. Once it is finished with the voluntary list, the parish will turn its
attention to knocking down the structures on the list of condemned
properties. 

Peralta said owners can appeal the condemnation ruling. They must make their
appeals in person, at the parish's Office of Community Development, and then
clean, gut and secure their property within seven days. 

"That's easy to check," he said. "I can just ride my inspectors past most of
those houses to make sure the owners did what they said they were going to
do."