By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Three properties deemed a public nuisance by the Alabaster Housing Abatement Board have now been torn down, and the city has attached the cleanup cost as liens against the properties.

During its July 13 meeting, the Alabaster City Council voted to issue the liens against the three properties, meaning the city will be reimbursed for the demolition expenses if the property is ever sold.

The properties included a house foundation at 304 Forest Parkway, a former church building off Simmsville Road and a dilapidated residence off Simmsville Road.

As a result of the demolition costs paid by the city, the Forest Parkway property now has a $3,780.90 lien placed against it, the former residence on Simmsville Road has a $6,779.71 lien against it and the former church property now has a $4,280.90 lien placed against it.

Nobody spoke in favor of or against placing the liens against the properties during public hearings before each matter was voted on during the meeting.

The Alabaster Housing and Abatement Board previously voted to declare the three properties public nuisances, and attempted to contact the property owners to notify them of the decision.

After the property owners failed to bring the structures up to code, the City Council voted to move forward with demolishing the nuisance properties.

Before it was demolished, the former church on Simmsville Road had been abandoned for more than 20 years, and was overgrown and partially caved-in.

Before it was demolished, the Forest Parkway property contained an abandoned house foundation, which local residents said presented a danger to children in the neighborhood.

The foundation had remained on the property for several years after a fire destroyed the house originally built on the lot.

Current photographs of the properties depict cleared, hay-covered lots.