PLYMOUTH — The fix-up continues at Red Rock Inn in Plymouth, but not fast enough for the Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety, which voted unanimously to impose a fine on the owners in their meeting on Monday.
In early June, the second floor of the building was condemned as unsafe by Plymouth Building Commissioner Dennis Manuwal, who determined the balconies, guardrails, and stairways posed a danger to residents and emergency responders. The order to vacate was issued due to the building’s unsafe condition under Indiana code.
A local consortium of agencies and individuals was able to help the residents of the second floor relocate, and owners Nilesh and Deepka Patel were given a 30-day window to hire a contractor to begin the work to repair the structure or face further fines or other action. Manuwal reported to the Board on Monday that the time had expired without the requirements being met and asked the board to impose a fine of $2500.
The Patels, who reside in New Jersey, were present at the meeting online and told the Board that they felt they had met those requirements, saying that they had a signed contract with their contractor almost as soon as the process started in early June.
Manuwal told the board that the contractor didn’t apply for a permit until July 2 and, at that time, provided no insurance, putting the work on hold again. He said that the proper insurance wasn’t acquired until July 22, well beyond the 30-days allowed.
Patel told the board that work had begun on the structure this week, starting with the north side stairway. He said that the contractor planned to start with the ironwork necessary and would seek Manuwal’s approval before moving on.
