Page 8 — THE LACONIA DAILY SUN, Friday, May 27, 2011
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Wide Open Saloon stakeholders tell judge fireravaged building presents no immediate danger By Gail OBer
LACONIA — City Code Enforcement Officer Bill Stewart testified in Laconia District Court yesterday that the Weirs Beach landmark restaurant gutted by fire last September posed a danger of collapse and should be demolished. Judge Jim Carroll took the matter under advisement and there was no immediate word as to when he would render a decision. Stewart said his external investigation coupled with 30 years of experience in the building trades and in code enforcement indicate the charred Wide Open Saloon is listing toward the railroad tracks. “I’m surprised it didn’t collapse this winter,” he said. Stewart spent about 20 minutes answering questions posed by both the City of Laconia’s lawyer Walter Mitchell and owner building Brandi Baldi’s lawyer Freidrich Moeckel. Last month the Laconia City Council unanimously passed an order demanding Baldi raze the building and remove the debris from the property. It was the city’s desire the building be removed by the upcoming annual Motorcycle Week but, with Baldi’s challenge of the city’s order, it seems unlikely it will happen before the annual rally begins on June 11. Stewart also said in his opinion it would not be financially feasible to rebuild atop the first floor that was not damaged by the fire but suffered extreme water damage during the fire and subsequent elemental damage by laying exposed all winter. When Mitchell asked him if the building was a danger to public safety, Stewart responded in the affirmative and added the upcoming Bike Week
posed particular safety issues. “Have you ever seen a biker burn down a building?” Moeckel asked. After Stewart said “no” Judge Carroll reminded everyone that the applicable statute refers to safety and hazardous conditions only, not bikers. “My primary concern is it’s unsafe, a public hazard and an attractive nuisance,” Stewart said. “But you can’t be certain (of an imminent collapse)” Moeckel said. “Not absolutely but I can’t say it won’t.” replied Stewart. Baldi testified briefly that she had enclosed the entire site with a six-foot fence and that she would be willing to provide security during Bike Week. While the burned out building may be an eyesore, the specific case before Carroll is whether or not the building poses an immediate threat to the general public and if tearing it down will mitigate that threat. Not only Baldi has challenged the city’s demolition order. A mortgage on the property is held jointly by Alfred Mitchell and Andre Skonieczny, who also filed a response to the order saying they had not had ample opportunity to complete a foreclosure against Baldi and a demolition order was premature. Should Carroll order the demolition, more than likely the city would pay for it and place a lien on the property for the expenses. According to the Laconia Planning Department, after the building is demolished the owners have one year to rebuild on the same footprint. After one year, the site will be classified as a nonconforming lot and any building proposal would need to go through the city planning and zoning process.
MEXICO from page 2 acan and Zacatecas have become battlegrounds for drug cartels fighting for control of the area. The Sinaloa cartel, Mexico’s most powerful, has long been active in Nayarit, which borders its home base in Sinaloa state, but the gang has recently been challenged by the Zetas and by remnants of the Beltran Leyva cartel. In nearby Michoacan state, officials said 500 marines and soldiers have been deployed to an area where at least 1,200 villagers fled their homes during three days of clashes between rival drug traffickers, which appeared to be unrelated to the
Nayarit conflict. The government gave the families refuge at five shelters in two nearby towns. The arrival of security forces Wednesday appeared to have soothed fears and hundreds of villagers decided to go back home by Thursday. Officials said only 300 people remained at the five shelters Thursday evening. It is at least the second time a large number of rural residents have been displaced by drug violence in Mexico. In November, about 400 people in the northern border town of Ciudad Mier took refuge in the neighboring city of Ciudad Aleman following cartel gunbattles. That shelter has since see next page
THE LACONIA DAILY SUN
Weirs Beach Lobster Pound Route 3, Weirs Beach
www.wb-lp.com
366-2255
Join Us & Sing Along with Marc “The Booth Bay Piano Man” Every Thursday, starting at 7pm and during Brunch on Sunday
SUNDAY BRUNCH ~ Starting at 10am AYCE Brunch Featuring: Seafood Crepes, Lobster Benedict, Omelet & Carving Stations & Italian Specialties
$14.95 Adults ~ $5 Children
Swearing-In Ceremony Please join the Laconia Police Department for the swearing-in of Chief Christopher Adams and to say farewell to Chief Michael Moyer on May 31, 2011 at 12:00 p.m. at Pitman’s Freight Room 94 New Salem St, Laconia, NH Parking available on site or at the Laconia Police Department A light lunch will be served
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