Published: November 02, 2009 11:12 pm         

Renovations resume: Stop-work order on Deborah’s House gets lifted

TERRE HAUTE — They’re back.

The organizers of Families By Choice learned Monday morning that a stop-work order on Deborah’s House has been lifted and that renovations there may resume.

“We’re going to have somebody down there every day,” co-founder Muriel Ryan said that afternoon of the work. “Monday through Sunday at 2 p.m. in the afternoon.”

Ryan said volunteers plan to work 2 to 6 p.m. every day until the property that houses single mothers and their children is brought back up to code following a condemnation in August.

The house at 2808 S. 111/2 St. has gone through a seesaw of status changes since its condemnation. Ryan has previously explained that the departure of an onsite supervisor led to damage there which resulted in the condemnation, a situation the organization plans to remedy with in-house managers.

Last week, city officials granted then revoked a building permit for the property, citing concerns about its zoning as R-1 Residential.

R-1 Residential is meant to house no more than five unrelated individuals, rather than R-3 Residential, which can be used for multiple families.

Chuck Ennis, city engineer for Terre Haute, said his office granted the work permit Monday. According to Ennis, one of the past problems included a lack of licensing and bonding for the contractor handling the renovation. The organization now has a licensed and bonded contractor, hence the reversal.

The home has in the past housed as many as 11 individuals, and whether or not it’s properly zoned is still up for discussion, he said.

“That’s a separate thing and depending on what their final determination of the use of that building is, they’ll have to go through those procedures,” he said Monday.

Ryan said she still questions city officials’ interpretation of housing codes and procedures involved, but for the meantime, she’s just happy to be back to work. She and members of her board plan to attend the Nov. 11 City Council meeting with questions on the topic.

The house requires about $5,000 in materials, mostly drywall, to move forward, she said, adding, “and people that know how to use a paint-roller.”

The majority of the problems are simple and revolve around cleaning, she said, describing them as things a normal homeowner would maintain. “The plumbing is mostly small leaks.”

Deborah’s House has a partner property, Timothy’s House, which shelters men turning 18 as they transition from foster care. Families By Choice is a not-for-profit organization designed to combat homelessness in the Wabash Valley.



Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.