Glen Alpine board approves demolition of burned home

The house that has been uninhabitable since it was engulfed by fire will meet its final end in the next few weeks.

The Glen Alpine Board of Aldermen voted on Monday, March 10, to accept the $11,000 bid from Carolina Excavation to demolish the 826-square-foot home at 112 Old Mill St. The home was destroyed by fire about two years ago.

The property owner, Jessica Wright, had previously permitted town officials to move forward with destroying the structure, which was built in 1940, according to Burke County records. Wright has owned the property by Quit Claim Deed since December 2020.

Curt Willis from the Western Piedmont Council of Governments (WPCOG) told the aldermen that the company would likely be able to begin demolition within a month’s time. WPCOG contracts with the Town of Glen Alpine to oversee code enforcement for the community.

Besides being an eyesore, the burned home is also beginning to lean uncomfortably close to a neighboring dwelling.

“It’s leaning toward her house just from the winds we’ve had,” Willis said. “There’s really no substantial wood in there to hold it — it’s all burnt to a crisp. So, it’s going to fall eventually. I would say it would fall this year.”

Willis also pointed to another home, this one on Dale Street, that is violating town code with rubbish on the property. He began citations for the owners at $50 per day. Alderman Reid Scott suggested that the town continue to work with the homeowner due to extenuating circumstances.

“The guy that lives in this house straight across the street from me, his wife is bedridden and he’s in early stages of Alzheimer’s,” Scott said. “Maybe we can work through his kids to clean the mess up.”

Scott then volunteered to accompany Willis to talk with the neighbor.

Alderman Luke Boone also asked for guidance on what the Public Works Department can and cannot do to keep trees, bushes, and grass from encroaching on the roads in town.

“When I follow up (on resident complaints) with our Department of Public Works, they are sort of tribal about it. Is this a town-maintained street? Is this a state-maintained road? They’ll say, ‘That’s a state-maintained road and we can’t clean that.’”

Boone then requested the board approve specific guidance for Public Works employees to follow. The subject has often been discussed in previous meetings, particularly by Scott.

“Personally, when they say they won’t do it because it’s a state road … that’s inside our town, that’s our citizens in jeopardy … they need to be disciplined in some way,” Scott said. “That’s the reason we’re in that problem now. They’ve never been disciplined about what the government is responsible for, and until we put our foot down, that’s what we’ll end up with from now on.”

Town Administrator Crystal Reed confirmed she has asked Public Works staff to treat all roads in town the same when cleaning up trash and overgrowth. Turkey Tail Lane is a state road in Glen Alpine and has been plagued with trash, she said. Scott said the town’s In the Streets Committee had cleaned Turkey Tail three times in the past year, and he has yet to see the employees along that roadway.

Alderman Jim Frady suggested framing a motion for a vote to specify that the town’s Public Works Department is responsible for clearing any overgrowth impacting safe travel.

The board eventually approved Boone’s motion for Public Works to treat all streets — town and state — the same. Mayor Michelle Lewis is charged with telling the employees.

Alderwoman Sheila Perkins then asked whether meetings with all department supervisors had been scheduled, a quarterly meeting that the board approved several months ago.

“(The meeting is necessary) just to check on accountability, as a result of what we talked about, personnel policies, and reprimands and those types of things,” she said.

At her urging, the board committed to meeting with the department heads after the March 31 special meeting and budget workshop, when Fire Chief Adam Marlowe will present his 2025-26 budget needs.

This meeting will be the first in a series to focus on next year’s budget, which must be approved by June 30.