HOLMES BEACH – After a balcony fell off a building and residents were evacuated at a nearby condo due to balcony problems, city leaders are warning property owners to be on the alert for structural issues that could cause personal injury or death.
The Sun made a public records request for the identity of the builders and other construction information on the single-family residence and the Fountain Head condominium on Sixth Avenue, which also has a sister building, but city staff delivered only permit records for pools and air conditioning units, which are available on the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s website.
Building Official Neal Schwartz said he was surprised that there were no other records on the properties, and that since he came to the city two years ago, he’s focused on keeping complete and accurate records in the building department. With the addition of an electronic method of submitting and approving documents for permits, Schwartz said the process of maintaining records has become easier and less susceptible to loss, unlike documents that were submitted on paper and stored either in paper files or on microfiche in the past.
After the condo at 3400 Sixth Ave. was found to have potential structural issues with the balconies on the back of the building, the owners of the units in the sister building were warned of potential issues. Now the city’s building department and code compliance staff are also sending letters of warning to owners of structures similar to the home at 4106 Sixth Ave., where a rear balcony collapsed in late June.
In the letter to property owners, Schwartz said the city is detailing the issues found at the home and suggesting that the work originally performed on the balconies of the damaged structure was likely performed by the same contractor as the other matching structures on Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The letter goes on to warn property owners of the potential for issues with the balconies and to encourage them to be alert to any problems.
The affected properties are 4105 Fifth Ave., 4107 Fifth Ave., 4104 Sixth Ave., 4108 Sixth Ave. and 4110 Sixth Ave.
Schwartz said that the property owner at 4106 Sixth Ave., Virginia Stewart, according to Manatee County Property Appraiser records, has voluntarily evacuated the property and her insurance company has engaged a structural engineer who inspected all of the balconies on the home and reported that the damage was most likely caused by lack of maintenance. The report also states that all of the balconies on that home, which was built in 2002, are unsafe and need to be replaced before the property can be cleared for occupation. Schwartz said the process is underway and permits have been issued for the repairs.
Schwartz said the letters to property owners were not sent out immediately due to the finding that the collapsed balcony was primarily caused by lack of maintenance rather than a problem with the initial construction.
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