Condos Destroyed in Fire Not Allowed to Be Rebuilt

City officials have said that the Lake Williams Condominiums on West Main Street that were destroyed in a fire cannot be rebuilt due to a zoning issue dating back to when the condominiums were built.

Much of the condominium was that called six addditional fire departments to the scene. The building commissioner recently concluded that there were two buildings on the property at 271-277 West Main Street in contrast to the building permit that was issued in 1969 for the structure, according to a press release sent out ahead of a tour of the site by local legislators.

Because of the two building distinction, over 75 percent of the structure was lost. According to the city, the insurance company viewed the fire as a 100 percent loss — further indicating it was a stand-alone structure — and rebuilding the structure would require a special order by the City Council.

The condo owners maintain that the building was a wing of the main structure, and should be allowed to be built on, according to the press release.

This has left the condo residents pitted against the city, according to a report by WBZ Channel 6 News Boston. Mayor Arthur Vigeant told Channel 6 that he has been working with the owners, getting them out of paying property taxes for the destroyed condos.

The issue is set to appear before the Zoning Board of Appeals Tuesday night.