ABOVE: Danville Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk in his Public Safety Building office.
Danville Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk says online concerns expressed earlier this week (Wed Feb 25th) about homes torn down in the Madison Neighborhood area were immediately taken of the following day (Thurs Feb 26th). Cronk told CIMG that while some blighted homes targeted for tear down can have asbestos abatement work done ahead of time, the structures with what is known as “life safety letters” cannot; because it is too dangerous to enter the home.
Therefore, it is important to have materials left over from the tear downs either covered or hauled away immediately. Cronk told CIMG that a handful of homes out of the total of 30 being torn down, had materials still lying on the ground afterwards; and it was quickly taken care of.
AUDIO: You have to assume that asbestos is in the home. It may or may not be in there, but you could not confirm or deny that the asbestos was located on the property.
Cronk pointed out that air contamination is highly unlikely, because materials with the chemical would have to be crushed on site for that; and they are not. He says shingles are a good example.
AUDIO: A lot of shingles, and building materials, likely have asbestos from that time period of those constructed homes. But, like a shingle for instance, in most cases cannot be crushed down to a state to where the asbestos can go airborne.
Cronk says the key here is simply better communicating with and monitoring of contractors, making sure it is understood that leftover materials from tear downs cannot be left sitting and uncovered just because they can conveniently be picked up with a bigger load the next day.
Cronk also reminded CIMG that the Madison Neighborhood is bordered by the following streets: Gilbert, Logan, Williams, and Madison. The federal Capital Project Funding grant received by the city was designed to tear down 30 structures; and Cronk expects the rest to be on the ground within a week or so. Then, Cronk says, there are two old Logan Avenue business structures that could be targeted, if enough funding remains.
AUDIO: One directly to the north of Leon’s Diner, that the city controls. And then, what a lot of people in the city would know as “the old bait shop,” on Logan Avenue.
A bill forwarded by Congresswoman Robin Kelly made it possible for Danville to receive the $850,000 Capital Project Funding grant.
