Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 14, 1990 TAG: 9003142873
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Macher said he hopes the inspections will "put an end to the questions" that have been raised about his failure to obtain building, electrical and plumbing permits for renovation work on nearly a dozen pieces of rental property in the Old Southwest neighborhood.
The GOP candidate, one of the largest property owners in Old Southwest, met with Building Commissioner Ronald Miller on Tuesday to review the buildings cited in the city's letter to Macher in December.
"We have agreed to go through all of the property and make sure everything is up to code," Macher said.
"The Building Department is going to treat me just like any other property owner - not as a candidate for City Council or anything like that. They aren't going to do me any favors," Macher said.
City inspectors will "look at everything that he has done and tell him what he should do if he doesn't have permits or needs variances," Miller said.
The inspectors will concentrate on the buildings cited in the letter in which repairs and renovations have been made in recent months, Miller said, "but if he has other things he wants us to look at we'll do that, too."
Macher said Miller told him that one person called the city and accused him of being a slum landlord.
But Macher said he thinks he has helped Old Southwest by fixing up dilapidated houses and rental property. He said he is anxious to dispel any notion that he is a slum landlord.
"We've improved houses and conditions in the neighborhood," said Macher, as he compared pictures of houses before and after they were renovated.
Macher said he realizes that some Old Southwest residents may view him as an investor who tries to make a maximum profit by squeezing more housing units into a building. But he said he has tried to improve the neighborhood with a genuine concern for preservation.
Macher said he owns 27 buildings and houses in Old Southwest with more than 200 units.
Macher said again Tuesday that he didn't know that permits hadn't been obtained until he received a letter from the city.
He said he relied on a maintenance worker and subcontractors to obtain the permits and didn't know they had failed to do so.
Macher said he fired the maintenance worker after learning that he had done some work without getting a permit. The disgruntled former employee apparently then went to city inspectors and told them about work that had been done without the required permits, Macher said.
by CNB