Burned-out eyesore unsightly no more

An asbestos-tainted building that was the scourge of an East Sprague business district has finally been cleaned up.

After four long years, three different owners and ongoing challenges with the Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority, the last charred remains of the former Lady Luck Tattoo and Piercing were hauled away.

“It’s nice to see all the permits and all the difficulties finally come to a conclusion,” said Michael Lee of Northwest Renovators Inc., owners of the property.

In the end, the burned-out building a few doors west of DéjÀ Vu Showgirls took down two property owners. It also became a focal point of a rally that in part led to the resignation of SCAPCA Director Eric Skelton.

Instead of falling bricks and mounting debris, the site is now a gaping 200-foot by 27-foot hole that’s open to possibilities.

“It’s kind of a strange look, but I like it,” said Mike Holden, owner of Valley Transmission.

Holden’s business is next door on the 8700 block of East Sprague where a 2001 fire gutted two buildings and damaged a third.

While Holden repaired the damage to his business and Mike Van Dinter built a car lot on a site once occupied by a motorcycle shop, the blackened tattoo parlor sat idle.

SCAPCA determined the building was contaminated with asbestos and wanted hazardous materials disposal for the rubble – at a cost of about $25,000.

Inadequate insurance coverage bankrupted the first owner and the property reverted to a previous owner. He defaulted on his property taxes.

As the roof caved in and bricks toppled over, neighbors complained to the county. When Spokane Valley incorporated in 2003, the city inherited the mess and neighbors complained to its newly hired building officials.

“I think now the frustration was trying to get something done about it,” Holden said.

Last January, Spokane County sold the property at a tax foreclosure auction to Northwest Renovators Inc. In deciding to purchase the property, Lee and his business partner, Doug Gore, relied on an asbestos survey commissioned by the property’s previous owners.

In the survey, Affordable Asbestos said the property had limited asbestos contamination and the owners placed cleanup costs at about $5,000.

What seemed like a sweet deal for $23,000 quickly became a nightmare. The men hired Affordable Asbestos to remove cement asbestos board. SCAPCA retested the site and determined it was still contaminated.

Northwest Renovators said Affordable Asbestos missed the additional contamination because there was snow on the ground.

After meetings and correspondence failed to resolve the issue, SCAPCA sent Northwest Renovators an unprecedented 30-day cleanup order and threatened the business with fines up to $10,000 a day.

Gore complained to County Commissioner Todd Mielke, a SCAPCA board member. He also called nearly 30 businesses governed by SCAPCA and found that some shared similar complaints.

A group of attorneys and business people joined forces to complain about the agency and its director at a special Aug. 18 SCAPCA board meeting.

At the meeting, Northwest Renovators presented a chain-of-custody record they believed was doctored by SCAPCA. County Commissioner and SCAPCA board member Phil Harris called for an investigation. The investigation determined SCAPCA’s notations on the record were legitimate and no wrongdoing occurred.

SCAPCA’s board suspended the 30-day cleanup order and the agency allowed the company to get another asbestos survey.

MCS Environmental Inc. tested materials, including five piles of debris. One pile tested positive for asbestos, so the men paid for hazardous disposal of all five piles. However, the company wasn’t required to pay for specialized disposal of bricks and other materials, which tested OK.

Lee said they may sell the property to neighboring business owners or develop it as office or retail space.

Holden said at one time he wondered if he’d have to look at the eyesore for the rest of his life. Now he might make an offer on the property.

“I’m glad it looks so much better. Thank God it’s done,” Holden said. “Onward and upward from here.”