Open Letter to Tim Meroney, Building Official

Flanders Mansion Roof Condition
Note: No Waterproofing of Exterior Walls, Roof, as required by 17.32.210 A.2.h.

Detached/Broken Roof Tiles from Flanders Mansion

Detached Ivy from Exterior Wall of Flanders Mansion

Garbage near Front Door of Flanders Mansion
No removal of all debris, as required by 17.32.210 B.3.c.

Open Letter to Tim Meroney, Building Official:

In the interest of assisting you in belatedly complying with Carmel-by-the-Sea Municipal Code Chapter 17.32 Historic Preservation, 17.32.210 Maintenance and Upkeep (i.e., chronicling the “defects,” “damage from weather,” “ineffective waterproofing of exterior walls, roofs,” and “removal of all debris), please view the photos of Flanders Mansion detached roof tiles, detached ivy from the exterior wall and garbage near the front door.

Reference:
Selected pertinent excerpts, as follows:

Carmel-by-the-Sea
Municipal Code
Chapter 17.32
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
17.32.210 Maintenance and Upkeep.
A. Minimum Maintenance.

1. All resources included in the inventory shall be preserved against decay and deterioration, kept in a state of good repair and free from structural defects. The purpose of this section is to prevent an owner or other person having legal custody and control over a property from facilitating demolition of a historic resource by neglecting it and by permitting damage to it by weather and/or vandalism.

2. Consistent with all other State and City codes requiring that buildings and structures be kept in good repair, the owner or other person having legal custody and control of a property shall repair such building or structure if it is found to have any of the following defects.

a. Building elements so attached that they may fall and injure members of the public or property.

b. Deteriorated or inadequate foundation.

c. Defective or deteriorated flooring.

d. Members of walls, partitions or other vertical supports that split, lean, list or buckle due to defective material or deterioration.

e. Members of ceilings, roofs, ceilings or roof supports or other horizontal members which that sag, split or buckle due to defective materials or deterioration.

f. Fireplaces or chimneys that list, bulge or settle due to defective material or deterioration.

g. Deteriorated, crumbling or loose exterior plaster.

h. Deteriorated or ineffective waterproofing of exterior walls, roofs, foundations or floors, including broken windows or doors.

i. Defective or lack of weather protection for exterior wall coverings, including lack of paint, or weathering due to lack of paint or other protective covering.

j. Any fault, defect or deterioration in the building which that renders it structurally unsafe or not properly watertight.

3. If the Building Official determines that a historic resource or any other property is being neglected and subject to damage from weather or vandalism, the Director and/or Building Official shall meet with the owner or other person having legal custody and control of the historic resource to discuss with them ways to improve the condition of the property. If no attempt or insufficient effort is made to correct any noted conditions thereafter, the Building Official may issue a notice to comply requiring the owner or other person having legal custody and control of the historic resource to take action to require corrections of defects in the subject property in order that such historic resource may be preserved in accordance with this section.

B. Protection of Deteriorated, Vacant and Vandalized Resources.

3. Security measures that the Building Official may order shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

c. The removal of all debris from the premises, including but not limited to wood, paper, cans, bottles and fecal matter.

Additionally, the 12 December 2006 City expense of $3,800.00 to Gates Tree Service, Inc. for “tree pruning at Flanders Property” could have been better spent ameliorating the defects and damage to the National Register of Historic Places structure itself.

In summary, in accordance with your duties and responsibilities as the city’s building official, it is incumbent on you to inspect, chronicle the defects and damage, et cetera, and “take action to require corrections of defects” to the Flanders Mansion. Only then can the city fulfill the purpose of section 17.32.210---“to prevent an owner or other person having legal custody and control over a property from facilitating demolition of a historic resource by neglecting it and by permitting damage to it by weather and/or vandalism.”