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PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Commission has put out two demolition jobs for bid to tear down some dilapidated structures in the county.

Once they are awarded, the work would be paid through the state Division of Environmental Protection Dilapidated Properties Program Grant.

The commission unanimously approved putting out a notice for bids to tear down structures at 4339 Laurel Creek Road in Waverly and 44 Sandalwood Drive in Williamstown.

Wood County Compliance Officer Levi Brady appeared before the commission to get approval for the jobs to be put out to bid. The jobs would qualify for removal under some of the dilapidated property cleanup grant money the county gets from the state.

The property located at 4339 Laurel Creek Road in Waverly is an old farmhouse structure which Brady said had 13 different openings. There was also a dilapidated garage on the property to be removed.

“No one has lived in it for a long time,” he said. “It is caving in on all sides.”

Brady said the owners were contacted and “they were immediately on board” with what was being proposed in getting the structure torn down using grant funds.

“They didn’t even know this grant existed,” he said. “They were immediately on board to do whatever we wanted to do to get things going.”

Brady met with them and signed all the appropriate paperwork. An engineering report was done.

The property at 44 Sandalwood Drive in Williamstown included a home where a tree fell on it four or five years ago, Brady said.

Again, he met with the owners who were receptive to what the county wanted to do.

“They didn’t know this program existed,” Brady said. “They thought it was the neatest thing we could do to help.

“Two-thirds of the house is open because of the fallen tree.”

Again, they have an engineering report done and all the appropriate paperwork has been signed.

“This is a great program,” he said. “We get some cleanup, the owner gets some help and we get reimbursed.”

Brady said under the grant the property owners retain ownership of the land and are responsible for maintaining and taking care of it.

The county has been able to clean up seven properties under the grant program.

The grant has been in place for a year and a half. It lasts until the end of the year. Brady said he is hoping to get three or four more properties he can clean up before Dec. 31.

“We have those in the works right now,” he said. “We hope to get those going.”

In other business, a homeowners’ association wants the county’s help in doing repairs to some storm drain lines in the Walnut Grove subdivision in Washington, W.Va.

The commission discussed a $18,000 request from the homeowners’ association to do the repairs. They are requesting to appear before the commission to make a formal request, Commission President Blair Couch said.

Commissioners also want to talk to representatives from Lubeck Public Service District separately to discuss what needs to be done and if there is any money the PSD has available that could go towards this project including money they put aside annually for emergencies and extraordinary circumstances.

Officials said the subdivision has around 30-35 residences.

“We need to get some background from the public service district,” Couch said. “We will get more information that will be forthcoming.”

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com.