State tearing down homes near Robins Air Force Base
WARNER ROBINS -- Demolition began this week on about a dozen homes the state bought in an area near Robins Air Force Base.
The demolitions are part of an effort to reduce the number of people living in an area the U.S. Department of Defense considers to be at risk for plane crashes and excessive noise. The area is commonly referred to as an encroachment zone.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is handling the purchases because of its experience in buying property. Daniel Brown, DNR business operations specialist, said 18 properties are slated for demolition, but a few of those involve removal of debris only.
While the contractor, Southern Equipment Co. of Macon, began knocking down houses just this week, asbestos removal began earlier, Brown said.
The work is expected to be finished in August, but the state also expects to close on an additional 19 properties, and 15 of those include some type of structure.
If all of those properties are purchased, the state will have closed on a total of 41 properties in the area, which is east of North Davis Drive between Tabor Drive and Bargain Road. Among those are an apartment complex and a mobile home park with 61 lots, as well a couple of smaller mobile home parks.
Once the demolitions are done, the lots will be cleared and grassed over.
“They are going to be vacant lots, and we are going to hold them so that no one else can move in,” Brown said.
Most of the homes being removed are fairly dilapidated, and some already have been abandoned.
Andre Brown, who was supervising the asbestos removal at a home on Melvin Street earlier this week, said he had a list of a dozen homes that also required asbestos removal. Once that’s done, a backhoe operator will tear down the house, and the debris is trucked to the landfill. The asbestos also is taken to the landfill and put in a special section, Brown said.
Asbestos workers wear full protective gear, including respirators, and tie the material tightly in plastic bags before bringing it out to chuck it into a bin.
A local, state and federal partnership has provided the dollars for the removal of homes. The effort earlier had targeted an area in Bibb County north of the base.
The 21st Century Partnership, which works to protect the base in the event of a Base Realignment and Closure Commission, has been the leading advocate of eliminating the encroachment issue.
Chrissy Miner, operations chief for the partnership, said the house demolition is an important step.
“We are very thankful they are on the tail end of resolving the encroachment issue at Robins Air Force Base,” Miner said. “It’s another example of how the community rallied in support their base.”
Brown said the state is still buying homes in the area. Most of the properties that have been bought have a sign that states the DNR is buying property in the area and gives a phone number for people to call.
Brown said any owners of property in the designated area who are interested in selling can call him at 404-656-5165.
An appraisal will be done, and the state will make an offer. No one has been forced to sell, and not everyone living in the area need to be removed in order to satisfy the Department of Defense.
This story was originally published July 3, 2015 at 6:47 PM with the headline "State tearing down homes near Robins Air Force Base ."