GULF SHORES, Ala. – A house that has sat in disrepair since Hurricane Ivan received another 30-day reprieve from the wrecking ball at Monday’s Gulf Shores Council meeting.

The house at 1865 W. Beach Blvd. was one of three the city sent out notices on in March. This particular house is owned by former Alabama Secretary of State Nancy Worley. She was the only one of three homeowners to appeal.

“Several months ago at the beginning of the year we looked over several properties that the city felt were considered an eyesore, unsafe structures that needed demolition,” Building Official Brandan Franklin told the council. “At that time we sent letters to three property owners, two of them have complied and we have taken down two of the structures.

“Mrs. Worley asked to have an appeal before the council which is allowed as part of the process of declaring these buildings unsafe.”

During a 4 p.m. work session before the regular meeting at 5 p.m., Franklin gave the council a list of reasons the home is no longer viable.

“The city had inspectors go out and had a 12-item list of deficiencies that we noted,” he said. “The supports under the floor system are no longer strapped, there’s a two-by-eight (board) being held on by lag bolts, several pieces of the exterior siding are no longer there. The straps that are there are rusted and decayed. There’s several items.

“The way the building currently sits, we consider it an unsafe structure. Without the strapping there a good gust of wind, the next storm, it could wind up in a neighbor’s property across the street.”

Worley addressed the council in the work session and said if at all possible she would like to repair the home.

“I’ve never received a written copy of the inspector’s report,” she said. “I don’t know what exactly I am looking at but I would like to hire a structural engineer to look at the property and tell me.”

When the issue came up again in the council meeting at 5 p.m. a compromise was reached. Councilman Steve Jones asked that the resolution to proceed with the demolition be tabled and to give Worley the time she seeks.

The city gave Worley 30 days to have the home inspected by an engineer and to get an estimate from a contractor on the cost of those repairs.

If the repair bill is less than half of what the estimated value of the home was before the storm – just the structure not the accompanying land – then she will be allowed to make repairs.

In that scenario, Worley would have 90 days to have those repairs made according to the compromise. The structure could be repaired according to “existing building” codes if it the repair costs turn out to be less than 50 percent of the pre-storm value.

If the damage is more than 50 percent of the estimated value, Worley “would have to meet the codes like she building an entirely new structure,” Franklin said.

The codes for new structures are different than for existing structures.

“If it is determined to more than 50 percent damaged, the entire structure would have to meet our current 2009 codes,” Franklin said. “One-hundred-forty mph wind load requirement and more stringent requirements for any type of windows. Requirements are a lot greater than they were years ago.”

The city has received a bid of $3,500 for the demolition. After the inspections and estimates, if Worley decides not to make repairs, the building must come down within two weeks.

“Obviously if it’s more than 50 percent and it’s going to cost me a world of money to repair it, then I’d be better off to have it demolished and try to build a new one,” Worley said. “If it can be repaired, that’s the road I’d like to go.”

Councilman Jason Dyken said several homes besides Worley’s are still in disrepair from Ivan and he would like to see them all repaired or removed.

“This issue has been going on in the city for quite some time,” Dyken said. “Not just this property, but multiple properties are in disrepair and they’ve been in disrepair for upwards of seven years now. I think it’s time to take care of this problem in our city.”