City Seeks Order To 'Deconstruct' Webster Home
By Ryan Schlehuber

Mackinac Island City Council will seek a court order to "deconstruct" Len and Sue Webster's partially built home in Hubbard's Annex after it learned at its meeting Wednesday, March 12, that the May deadline to finish the project will not be met.

After closing the public meeting to discuss litigation options with its attorney, Tom Evashevski, Council agreed to direct Mr. Evashevski to seek a court order from 11th Circuit Court in Mackinac County to require the Websters to remove any construction material from the property, refill the land, and pay fines for not meeting the May 15, 2008, deadline.

Only the foundation of a twostory home has been constructed over a nine-year period. The court order required the Websters to have a framed and erected home near completion by the deadline.

Council, as well as Annex residents, have charged the unfinished project is a blight and hazardous to public safety. The Websters have already been fined $500 for not meeting construction deadlines, said Mr. Evashevski, after the meeting.

"The premise was that the court gave the Websters one more chance to finish the project," Mr. Evashevski later told the Town Crier. "Now we're at the end of the road, and we know that's not going to happen, so we are ready to go back to the court and determine what degree of deconstruction needs to be done to remedy the blight."

Seven permits for temporary use of a tractor to deliver building material to the Webster property were withdrawn by the couple's builder, Weiss Builders of St. Ignace, prior to the council meeting.

Council deliberated for five minutes in a closed session over litigation involving Betty Be- Dour, who began construction on her Mission Street home without having a city-issued building permit and a variance. She was granted approval by the city eventually, however, the work had already been done, thus Council agreed she violated the city's building ordinance and will be charged with a civil infraction.

Debra and Sandra Orr's request to change the areas of their two lots on Cadotte Avenue so that both will meet the city's 5,000-square-foot minimum building requirement was approved. They will take 1,993 square feet of Lot 3 and add it to Lot 2 to make it 5,004 feet. The remainder of Lot 3 will still have 5,530 square feet.

Council readopted its permits and fees ordinance, making no changes this year. Mayor Margaret Doud's assistant, Kelly Bean, said the ordinance should and will be reviewed yearly and updated accordingly. She and building inspector Dennis Dombroski reviewed the ordinance and updated fee changes that have occurred since 2002.