Paul Bass Photo
A controversial auto junkyard passed a surprise inspection this week, but was ordered promptly to seek legal permission to continue operating.
City Building Official Jim Turcio and Acting Fire Marshal Bobby Doyle paid the visit Wednesday Elm City Auto Wrecking at Middletown Avenue and Fawn Street.
The business obtained a special permit from the city in 2007 to operate the junkyard in return for making promised environmental improvements. Turcio and Doyle said the operators appeared to be following the rules, based on their unannounced inspection.
But the business’s permit expired in 2012, as reported earlier this week in this article. Turcio said he gave the business a week to file an application for a new permit.
Wednesday’s visit followed a separate visit by Turcio to the property a week before. That visit, as originally reported in this article, concerned a de facto junkyard the business was illegally operating not on its property, but on Fawn Street itself. Turcio gave the business 10 days to clean up the street. By mid-week Elm City was well on its way to complying, Turcio said.
The business’s president, reached by phone, said he might call back with a comment. He didn’t.
This week’s inspection gave Turcio and Doyle an idea: They both said they will now inspect all half-dozen or so junkyards across town starting next week, as part of a new effort to keep tabs on commercial properties.
“We don’t pick on anybody. We’ll look at everyone in the city,” Doyle said.
Turcio said a broader plan is under consideration to regularly inspect commercial buildings throughout town.