Fort Dodge officials moved Monday night to knock down a vacant, trash-filled house in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood that’s been deemed a threat to public health.
Council members, acting as the city’s Board of Health, also decided to demolish the vacant Sandy’s Market in the same neighborhood as soon as they’re assured that the owner has been notified.
Those demolition orders are expected to be the first of several in a renewed focus on cleaning up that southwestern neighborhood.
City Manager David Fierke said the push resulted from the efforts of the Rev. Madai Taylor, who took to the streets of Pleasant Valley last month to preach against drug dealing there. Fierke said Taylor and his supporters asked if the city could tear down some of the vacant houses there.
Topping the city’s hit list Monday was a house at 1402 10th Ave. S.W.
The house has been vacant for about five years, neighbors have said. It is filled with rotting furniture and other items. The staircase has collapsed and pieces of first floor ceilings are falling down. Neighbors say that during the summer, a foul odor comes from the house.
The property is owned by the estate of a former resident. In 2006, the city received a request from a former owner of the property, who asked that it be leveled and the costs added to the property tax bill. Officials were uncertain Monday why that was never done.
Councilman Dave Flattery was absent from the otherwise unanimous vote to demolish that house.
Down the block at 1008 10th Ave. S.W. sits a two-story building that once was the home of Sandy’s Market. The windows on that structure are broken and it appear to be full of debris.
‘‘Sandy’s is one we really want to get down,’’ Fierke said.
The owner of the building is believed to be Lester Dungy, who lives in Texas, according to information presented to the council.
Council members voted to knock down the old grocery store after they’ve been assured that Dungy has been notified.
A contractor will be hired to handle the demolitions.
Contact Bill Shea at (515) 573-2141 or bshea@messengernews.net
