Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 10, 1990 TAG: 9003102639
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Macher also added apartments in at least three houses that violate zoning restrictions because the lots don't have the minimum space required for the number of apartment units in the buildings.
He has filed an appeal with the Board of Zoning Appeals in one case to obtain a variance from zoning restrictions so he won't have to rip out apartments.
Macher's failure to obtain the required permits was made public by Old Southwest Inc., a neighborhood organization, in its March newsletter that is distributed to several hundred people.
The neighborhood group reprinted a December letter from the city Building Commissioner's Office to Macher notifying him that he had done the work without obtaining the required permits.
The newsletter urged Old Southwest residents to attend a Board of Zoning Appeals hearing on April 10, when Macher's appeal on one case will be heard.
Sceva Phillips, president of the neighborhood organization, said the letter was included in the newsletter to help inform Old Southwest residents about the situation.
Macher, who owns rental property among his other business interests, made the repairs and renovations before he became a candidate for City Council in February.
City officials said the repairs and renovation to Macher's buildings hadn't been inspected by the city.
Macher said Friday that he didn't know that building, electrical and plumbing permits hadn't been obtained for the renovations until he received the letter from Charles Grant Jr., a city electrical inspector.
Macher said he relied on his contractors and subcontractors to obtain the permits and didn't realize they had failed to do so.
In the letter dated Dec. 20, Grant told Macher that the city would initiate legal action by Dec. 27 if he didn't obtain the permits.
In recent weeks, Macher said he has been working with city building officials to try to resolve the issue. He said he has another meeting scheduled with Building Commissioner Ronald Miller.
Miller said the city hasn't filed any legal action against Macher because he has obtained permits for some of the work and plans to file appeals to the Board of Zoning Appeals on some cases.
Miller said city inspectors checked on the repairs and renovation work on Macher's buildings after receiving complaints from some people, including residents in Old Southwest. But Miller wouldn't identify those who complained.
Miller said the city often gets similar complaints about the owners of other rental property. "He's no different than many rental property owners. We get calls from a lot of people complaining about things," Miller said.
Macher said Friday he thinks that some people may have complained to city officials for political reasons. "I think someone has got it in for me for some reason," he said.
Macher said he has renovated older houses and helped improve the Old Southwest neighborhood. He said he regrets his contractors and subcontractors didn't get the required permits, but added, "I think the Old Southwest group may do more harm than good in some cases."
Phillips, president of the neighborhood group, denied that politics was a factor in the complaints to the city.
"This was started long before he became a candidate for City Council," she said. Some neighborhood residents got upset when Macher added two apartments to a house at Highland Avenue and Sixth Street that already contained four apartments.
"We have density laws and he just seemed to think that he could do what he wanted," she said.
by CNB