P.O. Box 142 — Sykesville, MD 21784

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FACC Press Release

January 9, 2004

Carroll County Board of Commissioners
225 Center Street
Westminster, MD

Dear Commissioners:

As Chairman of the Freedom Area Citizens' Council (FACC) I request that the county do everything in its power to have the vacant buildings at the corner of Route 26 and Route 32 condemned and removed.

I understand Mr. Dimmick, the owner of the property, is a man of some means, but may have a bone to pick with the county over some past perceived transgression, but I have no way of reaching him. I suspect the county should have formal condemnation powers at its disposal in this case, which is completely appropriate given the circumstances of neglect covering nearly a decade. The buildings are in utter disrepair, completely uninhabitable and unsecured (except for rats), visually obtrusive and totally unsafe.

Mr. Dimmick's property is an eyesore in our community and has been this way for as long as I've lived here and much longer as I'm told. I recently tried to locate him through the county land records, permits and inspections and tax assessments divisions to no avail. I would appreciate the opportunity to make a personal appeal to him to remove the buildings in the interests of beautifying our community, but this does not seem possible. I also could not find a telephone listing nor anything on the internet, which might allow me to contact him directly.

As these nasty buildings are the first thing that anyone sees when entering Eldersburg at our most busy intersection, it is simply terrible that it hasn't been a priority to tear them down. Our community has suffered long enough waiting for this property to be subject to redevelopment like the rest of the area. I fear additionally, that these buildings may continue to dissuade proximate development and may be a deterrent to economic development in Eldersburg. In summary, to allow these buildings to stand any longer would be a continued crime against the Freedom district.

Please advise me of the steps that the county will take to ensure that these buildings will be formally condemned and the property ordered cleared. Let me know immediately if there is anything that the FACC or I can do to expedite activity in this regard. Thanks in advance for your help and best regards.

Sincerely,

Ross Dangel
Chairman