Fire-gutted home torn down after years-long fight. ‘My voice is not being heard,’ says owner
A fire-gutted home in the heart of Richland is being demolished this week, capping a years-long effort to abate a longstanding nuisance.
Big D’s Construction mobilized outside the Alphabet house at 1344 Thayer Drive on Tuesday and began the painstaking work of demolishing the blackened structure shortly after 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday.
Linda Alexander, who owns the property through Live Victoriously Ministries, and her son, Michael Alexander, spoke with city officials and police officers on the sidewalk as workers prepared to tear into the house.
Passersby expressed relief that the property, an infamous local landmark to nearby residents, was finally being removed.
But Linda Alexander said the story didn’t have to unfold the way it did.
She and her son said a little help and kindness after years of devastating setbacks, including a July 4, 2020 fire that left it a burned-out hulk, would have helped preserve the home and property.
“It got this way because the people who are supposed to help have been negligent,” said Alexander, who is 70 and recovering from a stroke. “My voice is not being heard.”
Bought in 1988
Michael Alexander said his family has owned the house for 40 years.
His mother bought it and his grandfather helped customize the interior, as well as build planting boxes. He grew up in the two-story house, an “A” model in the parlance of Richland’s historic Alphabet homes, constructed for the Hanford workforce.
The family’s story took a dark turn when Linda Hamilton was assaulted after opening the door to a man who said he needed to use the phone.
The Tri-City Herald traced the history of the property in a 2021 report that recounted a tortured legal process, including federal lawsuits.
Linda Alexander purchased the property in 1988 and lived there until at least 1995, when she opened the door to a man claiming he needed to use the phone but who assaulted her. She was then five months pregnant.
She recounted the story Wednesday, telling the Herald she was almost killed in the attack, leading to extensive health challenges.
Code violations
By the time the fire struck, the once gracious home had been the target of complaints about weeds, overgrown bushes and immobilized vehicles. The Alexanders said fireworks did not cause the fire, contrary to popular perception. They assert nearby power lines or a transformer ignited a tree that spread flames to the house.
The home, which was insured, could have been rebuilt if Linda Alexander had been treated with kindness, her son said.
He said contractors wouldn’t work on his mother’s house for the amount of insurance money available. The insurance didn’t cover contents such as a Marvel comic collection, art, tapestries and jewelry, he said, recalling a home where friends and neighbors loved to visit.
Instead, vandals compounded the damage and Richland code enforcement officials grew concerned about the condition of the structure, the landscape and the sidewalks. Alexander called his mother a gentle soul who instead of being treated with grace was targeted for legal action.
Legal process
In November 2020, the city cited Alexander for numerous violations of city codes related to noxious odors, accumulation of garbage, excessive yard debris, grass and weeds, dead or dying trees, maintenance of sidewalks and right-of-ways and storage of inoperable vehicles.
Meeting minutes indicate she did not attend the Dec. 8, 2020, hearing where the board voted to assess a $500 penalty and levy a monthly $100 penalty until the property came into compliance, which it never did.
The case landed in Benton County Superior Court in 2021. A judge authorized the city to bring the property into compliance with codes in late 2022.
Unsafe to enter
Ruvim Tyutyunnik, project manager, said once the legal case was settled, it took additional time to map out a safe strategy to work on the property.
A structural engineer said the structure was unsafe to enter and could not be saved. That prevented the city from testing for environmental hazards, resulting in the need to treat the entire property as potentially hazardous.
The demolition efforts are being carried out in compliance with Washington State Department of Labor and Industries and Benton Clean Air Authority rules, Tyutyunnik said Wednesday.
Workers wore protective gear and used respirators on site.
The city is not seizing the property, he said.
Benton County property records list Live Victoriously Ministries, which is controlled by Linda Alexander, as the property owner. The property tax bill is paid up, records show.
Michael Alexander said his goal is to ensure his mother has a voice moving forward.
“More than anything, I want to have a lawyer for her,” he said.
Sign Up: Boom Town Tri-Cities
Stay up to date on Tri-Cities growth and development with our weekly business newsletter. Get the latest on restaurant and business openings and closings, plus the region’s top housing and employment news. Click here to sign up. In your inbox every Wednesday.
