Building materials sit at a vacant lot on North Buffalo Street in Warsaw. InkFreeNews photo by Madison Hart.

By Liz Adkins
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — The City of Warsaw’s code enforcement team is pursuing action against the developer of a residential project on North Buffalo Street.

During a code enforcement hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 8, Code Enforcement Officer Dana Hewitt presented information on Dave Matthews, owner of Matthews Warsaw LLC.

“A few years back, the city (of Warsaw) and Matthews LLC had a vision to do condos on North Buffalo Street,” said Hewitt. “The project had started, a couple of the condos went up, but then work stopped. I don’t know all the details on why it stopped, but apparently (Matthews LLC) had stopped the work and is not going to continue.”

Hewitt said there is still a lot of construction debris on the lots Matthews owns, including concrete and wood products. The city is maintaining the lots by mowing them, with Hewitt describing the issue as “a nuisance and eyesore.”

Code enforcement has not received any communication from Matthews, who did not appear at the Oct. 8 hearing.

Hearing Officer Tom Earhart said he would prepare an order for Matthews to appear at the Dec. 3 code enforcement hearing and to have the materials cleared from the property at that time. Earhart said taking Matthews to court for a receivership could be looked into.

In other business, Earhart approved a recommendation from Building Inspector Robert Hurford to continue a case against Chad Patrick to the end of the year.

Hurford provided an update on a deck addition not up to code at Patrick’s property located at 852 Lydia Drive. He told Earhart that Patrick recently had a medical emergency, which has delayed the work.

Hurford also recommended Earhart waive the fine administered to Patrick at the Sept. 10 code enforcement hearing. This was approved.

A matter regarding a vacant lot owned by Kevin and Kristen Crist was continued to the Dec. 3 hearing. Hewitt said he wasn’t sure if the Crists had received notice to appear at the October hearing or not. A lot in Warsaw owned by the Crists is being used as a storage area.