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In the quiet Diamond Hill neighborhood, the charred remains of the oncecharming Sheridan House have stood as a persistent eyesore since a fire gutted the building in February of 2016.
The Lexington Architectural Review Board approved an application for appropriateness of demolition in August. The decision came after years of debate and concerns about the deteriorating condition of the property located at 201 N. Randolph St. and its impact on the neighborhood.
But the Sheridan House remains unchanged since the approval last month.
Beatrice Johnson, who lives a couple blocks down from the Sheridan House, urged City Council members during their meeting last week to address the issue.
“We want to live to see that happen,” said Johnson. “We consider ourselves a good neighborhood too and we want the same respect.”
Chy Clark, the current owner of the Sheridan House, submitted the application for a certificate of appropriateness to demolish the building. Clark is now seeking a permit to demolish the building.
“Prior to getting that permit they wanted to make sure their prices are firm, and they had a contractor under contract who could do the job,” said City Manager Jim Halasz. He said the application for their permit is due Oct. 9 and should be processed by the city shortly after.
Halasz said the city would write the Clarks a new violation if nothing was done by the second week of October.
During the same meeting, Council members discussed the possibility of creating an ordinance specifically for “blight remediation” to encourage the removal of dangerous structures that negatively impact neighboring properties.
City Attorney Jeremy Carroll noted the creation of a local ordinance may overcomplicate processes in the future. He said it “adds extra layers of work.”
