LACONIA — The City Council last night agreed that if the debris remaining from the demolition of the Wide Open Saloon at Weirs Beach has not been emoted from the site by October 1, City Manager Scott Myers should seek an order from Belknap County Superior Court authorizing the city to clear the site and place a lien on the property to recover its costs.
"What is sitting there is not a whole better than what was standing there," City Manager Scott Myers old the City Council last night. "I share your frustration and citizens' frustration, " he continued, adding that "I prefer it can worked out amicably."
Myers told the councilors that the agreement between the city and Brandi Baldi, the principal of 38 Endicott Street North, LLC, the owner of the property, stipulated that the demolition would be complete and the debris removed by September 12. He said that attorneys representing both parties have met, but there has been no sign of activity on the property.
On September 17, 2010 the building was severely damaged by fire. In the two years that followed its charred remains cast a pall over The Weirs while Baldi pursued various strands of litigation, including a suit against her insurance carrier. Ultimately the city and Baldi reached a settlement and earlier this month the building was finally knocked down.
As part of the settlement the city agreed that once the demolition is complete, the property owner will have one year to make a good faith effort, which could amount to filing a site plan or pulling a building permit, to rebuild on the same footprint, without being bound by changes in the zoning ordinance enacted since the original building was constructed.
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