The space next to the Dairy Queen in Navasota is going to get a little emptier in the next two months.
At Monday’s City Council meeting, the council heard from the homeowner, Patty Morris, who has been going to council to discuss the repair, or demolition of the home, since late last year. Major fixes have been needed to repair the home, which Morris said includes a $26,000 repair to just the foundation alone.
She said it has been tough sledding even finding someone to take on the job of repairing the home.
“I do not want it to be like this. I do not want to be in this position…I love Navasota, I want it to be nice, and I want everything to be great. But, I do not know if you have tried hiring many people, or not…but it is not easy. Especially on a house like that, contractors do not want to do work like that. It is hard to find contractors that want to work on older houses,” said Morris.
In addition to the foundation issues, city officials determined there to be termite damage, as well as overall damage to the structural integrity of the home.
The home, which was built in 1955, was the former site of the Graceful Inn. There is another building in the back of the property, and Mrs. Morris mentioned fixing that up, and ultimately selling the property.
Plenty of questions were asked by council, and concerns raised about the continued state of the property, and costs of repair.
In the end, the decision was Mrs. Morris’, after weighing the options.
“I am just going to go ahead, and tear it down,” said Morris.
Council approved recommending to Mrs. Morris that the house at 716 East Washington be demolished, and gave her 60 days to do so.