The Lafayette City Parish Council will hear about a property located at 1001 West Simcoe Street, Tuesday. The Department of Planning, Zoning and Codes has listed the property for condemnation.

Housing Inspector Randy Viator confirms the large number of complaints “The house was broken into about 3 or 4 months ago. The house had burglar bars and the bars were taken off the house.  It’s a fire hazard with numerous complaints from the fire department,” says Viator.

The inspectors report describes the building as a danger to public welfare, infested with rodents and insects. “It’s my neighborhood. I want kids to be able to do what I did when I was a kid and that’s just play around, have fun and be safe,” explains resident Rico Rice.

On Sonny Street, a property that’s been vacant for years is finally coming down. “We’re invested in this neighborhood and would like to see more of this going on,” adds resident Marian Broussard.

Barbara Spencer lives next door to the Sonny Street property. Spencer says she’s ecstatic to see it go. “I said wait a minute are you hatching in or knocking down the place.  He said we’re tearing it down. I said you got to be kidding me.  It’s about time,” says Spencer.

Shelia Carter is already making plans for the soon be empty lot. “I’ll do it. We’ll till and put in a neighborhood garden if the city will allow us to do it,” adds Carter.