HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – After receiving complaints in July, the Hopkinsville Fire Department followed through in demolishing an apartment structure at 1820 South Virginia Street and helped relocate residents after the building was deemed unsafe.
According to HFD, on July 17 personnel reported several concerns about the apartment building. The next day, Fire Chief Steve Futrell and members of the Fire Prevention Division arrived at the location to investigate the complaint.
The case was presented to the Code Enforcement Board on Aug. 12, where large amounts of evidence was presented by Code Officer Mark DeArmond and Futrell about the unsafe condition of the home. The owner of the building was not present during the meeting.
Children exposed to animal waste, broken down walls
During the investigation by code officers, they were able to access and evaluate all three apartments in the building, which revealed deteriorating and unsafe conditions along with dangerous electrical concerns. DeArmond also confirmed that children were living in the building.
At the code enforcement meeting, they disclosed that the foundation had cracks or breaks on all sides, and exterior walls had visible holes and missing siding with decaying structural elements on the porch. A sag in the roof was also visible from the exterior, with plastic in place inside to catch leaks. There were also several broken and damaged windows with doors that were not functional.
“The stairways were unsafe because they were loaded with animal feces just like the landing is,” said DeArmond to the board. “The odor is still coming from that house that’s noticeable across the street.”
Photo evidence was presented showing a buildup of trash and large debris in the yard along with scattered syringes and needles. The inside was deemed to be in extremely poor condition, with DeArmond describing the interior of one of the apartments as being completely stripped of drywall on walls and ceiling, and the plumbing was not connected to sewer.
“The Hopkinsville Fire Department is committed to making our city safer,” said a news release from HFD. “We are taking a strong stance on investigating reported violations because no one should live in unsafe or unsanitary housing. We will continue to take a proactive approach to ensure all residents have safe, clean, and adequate homes.”
There have been six previous violations formally issued to this structure, two of which were within the year. Hopkinsville dispatch has received 14 calls of service to this location in the past six months looking for potential suspects. Since the verdict by the board, the building has been completely demolished.
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