Latest news with #Ordinances
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Townhome residents suing City of Charleston over Dockside evacuation order
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) — A group of townhome owners is suing the City of Charleston, arguing they were unfairly forced out of their homes as part of an evacuation of the Dockside condominiums earlier this year. The lawsuit was filed June 3 on behalf of nearly two dozen residents who were ordered on February 27 to vacate their Concord Street townhomes by 5 p.m. the next day due to structural issues in the adjacent Dockside tower. The order came after an engineering firm that was hired to inspect the load capacity of the tower floors deemed the building unsafe for further occupancy and recommended in a February 25 letter that residents be evacuated. Officials cited concrete slabs that they described as 'significantly overstressed' as the reason for the evacuation order, saying, 'the structure has insufficient capacity to continue to be safely occupied until substantial structural strengthening is implemented.' But the complaint asserts that the firm's letter referenced structural deficiencies only with the main tower and made no mention of the townhomes. 'The city chose not to follow its own Ordinances that establish procedures before the City can condemn a building and order citizens to vacate,' an attorney wrote, adding that the firm offered no proof that the townhomes were at risk if the condominium tower collapsed. The lawsuit further claimed that the city's decision lacked consistency, noting that nearby buildings such as the International African American Museum were allowed to stay 'open and occupied' while residential properties were forced to vacate. The filing comes just weeks after the city's Building Code Board of Appeals upheld the order following a May 5 appeal hearing in which townhome residents offered emotional testimony about how the evacuation has impacted them. 'I've lived here 22 years,' Ryan Earheart, now one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said during that hearing. 'These people are my friends, and to see our friends in pain is very hard. The timing of this is very unknown. A lot of people had retired already, and this was their final home.' The lawsuit asks the court to nullify the city's order and allow the individuals to return to their townhomes. This story is developing and may be updated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Multiple agencies work to put out 25-30 acre brush fire in Two Rivers
TWO RIVERS, Wis. (WFRV) – No injuries or property damage were reported after crews in the Two Rivers area worked to put out a brush fire that burned through roughly 25 to 30 acres on Saturday. The Two Rivers Fire Department got a report of the smell of smoke and ash coming from the area of 34th and 35th Streets around 3:10 p.m. on Saturday, May 17. 'Overwhelming looking at the mess': Mayville community working through aftermath of tornado After crews were sent to investigate, it was determined that there was a small brush fire along the river next to the property in the 2900 block of 37th Street. After the winds shifted along the river, flames were pushed towards houses on Parkway Boulevard, and multiple agencies were called in to assist. Wisconsin city approves new Cruising Ordinances, authority to impound vehicles Eventually, the brush fire was put out, and no injuries or property damage were reported. It is estimated that 25-30 acres of wetland brush were burned. The fire was deemed not to be suspicious, but the cause remains undetermined. No additional information was provided. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
