—From the City of Knoxville, Office of Neighborhoods

Twelve properties are on the agenda for the City’s next Public Officer Hearing at 9:30 a.m. this Friday, September 29.

Neighbors affected by these properties may wish to be present to testify on their impact on the neighborhood.

The Public Officer — David Brace, director of the Public Service Department — will hear testimony on buildings that inspectors contend are in violation of the city’s building codes. Testimony can also be made by the property owners, neighbors, neighborhood groups, and other stakeholders, such as lien holders.

The Public Officer then decides whether to issue an order requiring that the violations be addressed in a certain period of time. Failure by the owner to cure the problem may result in the boarding or demolition of a structure, or the cleanup of a dirty or overgrown lot, with costs billed to the owner. A property owner may appeal the Public Officer’s decision to the Better Building Board and, ultimately, to Chancery Court.

The properties to be heard for repair/demolition orders include 3501Chapman Highway (Billboard Only)-Commercial Property, 124 South Concord Street (All Structures)-Commercial Property, 4410 Dorado Drive, 925 Farragut Avenue (Including Accessory Structure), 113 Fort Hill Road, 3115 Johnston Street, 2419 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue (Commercial Property), and 2223 Mississippi Avenue.

In addition, there will be a hearing for confirmation of previously issued emergency repair and/or demolition orders for 1620 Robert Huff Lane, 810 Spring Drive, 814 Spring Drive, 2316 Wilson Avenue, and 2324 Wilson Avenue (Including Accessory Structures).

If any of these properties are in your neighborhood, you or a representative of your organization may wish to attend the meeting to submit testimony about the impact of the property on the neighborhood. See the full September 29 agenda, with details on each property.