By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — The uninhabited building has become home to wild animals. 

Now, the concern looms that humans will trespass and put themselves in danger, according to Casco Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) John Wiesemann. 

Referring to recent photos of the home located 388 Roosevelt Trail, Wiesemann said when the snow was not in the picture, there is an obvious sag in the roof.

“The rear of house has an air conditioner. It is pulling the window area away from house,” causing another point of entry for the elements and the critters, he said. 

Before the snow fell, there was evidence of animals tracks between the house and the briars around the property, he said. 

“I am worried about transient people. I’ve found in a couple buildings in town, [evidence of] people sleeping there and doing illegal drugs and whatever. That is what I am afraid will happen here,” Wiesemann said. 

Also, there are lot of tires, barrels filled with unknown materials, and piles of metals scraps, he said. 

“It’s a dangerous flop,” he said.

On Jan. 4, a public hearing was held to determine if the uninhabited building was a dangerous structure. The hearing was part of the Casco Board of Selectmen’s regularly scheduled meeting. 

Town Attorney Ben McCall, of Jensen Baird Gardner & Henry, was on hand to go over the legal aspects of the process to dispose of a dangerous building that was once privately owned. There are many steps involved, and those have been completed including contacting all known stakeholders. Deutsche Bank National Trust Company is the mortgage company, McCall said. 

He explained that the board of selectmen “sits as a court. Your job is to hear the evidence, regarding the state of this building.” 

McCall provided the board with a definition of what constitutes as a dangerous building. 

As part of his testimony, CEO Wiesemann went over the history of the building. Contacting the property-owner with a notice of violation is one of the steps required in the legal process. 

“This is one of the first buildings when I first started with Casco [in 2020] that was of concern,” Wiesemann said. “Last winter, they contacted me by e-mail and just said, ‘There’s nothing wrong with house.’ And that was it.” 

Casco Town Manager Tony Ward read the finding of facts, which is required as part of the legal process to dispose of a building.  

“The dwelling is at the point of near collapse and poses an imminent public safety hazard,” was one of the statements.

The board voted, 3-0, to deem the structure unsafe, inhabitable and unsanitary. In other words, the building on 388 Roosevelt Trail has been categorized as a dangerous building.

During the conversation with the board about the building, Wiesemann was asked if the electricity was still hooked up. The CEO was unsure because the no trespassing signs that had been put up prevented him from going onto the property to investigate.

Also, Selectman Eugene Connolly asked the attorney if the town could post that it was a dangerous building for the sake of public safety. 

McCall said putting up a sign wasn’t a long-term solution. 

“We won’t post the building into perpetuity,” McCall said. “Usually, we recommend that it be fixed to alleviate the problem, or it be demolished.”