Parkersburg City Councilman Zach Stanley, left, presided over Tuesday’s Urban Renewal Authority meeting in the absence of Chairman J.R. Carpenter. At right is Councilwoman Cathy Dailey. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

PARKERSBURG — Even without multiple offers for a much-discussed piece of commercial property, the Parkersburg Urban Renewal Authority had a loaded agenda to consider Tuesday.

The other returning agenda item besides 1954 Seventh St. was an increased offer for 703 13th St. Applicant Vladimir Guevara’s offer of $2,100 was rejected on a 5-2 vote at the May 28 URA meeting, with some members also questioning where he would live while renovating the structure on the site.

He increased his offer to $5,000, but Councilwoman Sharon Kuhl said the two-story, 1,560-square-foot building had been broken into multiple times and was too far gone to be repaired.

“That place is totally destroyed. There is no way that you can fix this property for $30,000,” she said, referring to the amount Guevara listed for rehabilitating it in his application.

A vote to accept the offer failed in a 3-3 tie, with Kuhl, Councilman Bob Mercer and council President Mike Reynolds opposed and three members absent. The authority then voted 6-0 to demolish the structure.

The Parkersburg Urban Renewal Authority voted Tuesday to have this house at 703 13th St. demolished after a motion to accept an offer to purchase it failed in a tie vote. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

The authority unanimously accepted a $5,000 offer from Levin Fordyce to purchase three parcels at 910-912 29th St., where he plans to build two or three duplexes and has budgeted $480,000 for the project.

“He is going to put in housing. He’s got a good history with following through with his word,” Kuhl said.

Shawn Miller had made an offer to purchase one of the parcels, at 910 29th St., for $1,000 to allow the proper setbacks for a structure he plans to build on neighboring property. The purchase was recommended by the Board of Zoning Appeals.

At the suggestion of City Planner Connor LaVelle, the authority included in its approval of Fordyce’s offer the submission of a letter to the board, recommending they grant Miller a variance for his planned construction.

A bid of $2,000 was accepted for 813 16th St. on a 4-2 vote after a motion to set requirements for construction of a new structure at the site failed on a tie vote.

Parkersburg City Planner Connor LaVelle speaks during Tuesday’s Urban Renewal Authority meeting in City Council chambers at the Municipal Building. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

The offer came from Omar Guevara Osinaga, whose application said he allocated $48,000 for site preparation and construction. Osinaga did not attend the meeting, but his sister was there and said he works in construction and would build the house himself.

Kuhl was skeptical of the cost estimate and made a motion to require site preparation to be completed within 60 days of closing and construction completed within a year. If not, the property would revert to the city and Osinaga would receive the money he spent on the purchase back.

That motion failed 3-3, with Kuhl, Mercer and Reynolds voting in favor. The motion to accept Osinaga’s offer passed 4-2, with Kuhl and Reynolds opposed.

Near the end of the meeting, LaVelle informed council members that the owner of a dilapidated structure at 1208 Ann St. requested a 120-day extension of the suspension of eminent domain proceedings the URA approved at its May 28 meeting. A pending sale fell through and the 60-day suspension is due to expire near the end of July.

Although LaVelle said the authority could discuss it at their next meeting, they voted 6-0 against extending the stay.

A Mountain Dew bottle appears to prop a window open on the second floor of 703 13th St., which members of the Parkersburg Urban Renewal Authority voted Tuesday to have demolished. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

In other business, the authority:

* Voted 6-0 to accept an offer of $1,000 from Clarence A. Wires Jr. and Ruth E. Mitchell to purchase a 3,000-square-foot vacant lot at 1118 Lynn St. to use as a yard extension.

* Voted 5-1, with Councilman Zach Stanley opposed, to accept an offer of $200 from Paige Adams to purchase a vacant 2,000-square-foot lot at 1110 E. 12th St. Adams indicated she would use the property as a yard extension, install a fence and eventually build residence for herself or family members there.

* Took no action on a $400 offer from Jeffrey Burge, of Alaro LLC, to purchase a 5,400-square-foot vacant lot at 1335 Latrobe St. to use as a yard extension and for off-street parking.

* Unanimously accepted the donation of a 5,000-square-foot vacant lot at 910 15th St. from Lamar Oil & Gas. The proposed donation of a 3,700-square-foot lot at 604 John St. from the same owner was removed from the agenda because a sale was pending.

Trash and debris are seen on the front porch of 703 13th St., which members of the Parkersburg Urban Renewal Authority voted Tuesday to have demolished. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

* Voted 6-0 to accept the donation of a 3,600-square-foot vacant lot at 1900 Market St. by Westwood Land Company.

* Unanimously accepted the donations of property at 1303 Highland Ave. by Richard Sams and Martha Cochran and at 416 12th St. by Marlon and Ruth Williams. Both lots have structures on them that have already been recommended for demolition by the city’s Building Enforcement Agency.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com