Residents of a sinkhole-ravaged neighborhood are coping with another eyesore.
The residents of McLawren Terrace in the Village of Calumet Grove have known little peace since massive sinkholes opened up in February 2018, making two homes uninhabitable. Those many months of concern about the sinkholes also saw loud and noisy reconstruction of infrastructure, a protracted battle with the homeowners and lots of red tape with code enforcement officers and building inspectors.
Now a home at 17155 SE 79th McLawren Terrace is bringing its own drama to the neighborhood.
The home’s owner, Ronald Moore, has died and the heirs appear to live in Arizona.
In June, a complaint was lodged with Community Standards about overgrown weeds, dead grass and mold on the driveway.
The next door neighbor, Wallace Goodsell, spoke out during a public hearing Friday afternoon before the Community Development District 4 Board of Supervisors.
“This has been going on for almost two years now, since Mr. Moore passed. A lot of neighbors have been concerned. They feel our neighborhood has gone through some tough times after the sinkholes,” Goodsell said.
He urged the supervisors to pursue the owners and hold them accountable.
“That whole home is a disaster. I wouldn’t want to live next to it,” said Supervisor Cliff Wiener.
Board Chairman Jim Murphy also offered some sympathy.
“It’s always a difficult situation when you live alongside a property like this,” Murphy said.
The board agreed to find the owner in violation of deed compliance and ordered that the property be cleaned up within three days. If not, the District will mow the lawn and impose a $250 fine each time it does so.
Supervisors were frustrated that they don’t have the authority to do anything about the mold.
They asked District Counsel Mark Brionez to research whether CDD 4’s powers could be broadened to include power washing.