Town to Oversee Demolition of Barbara Road House

The motion on the floor of Tuesday's Tolland Town Council meeting seemed simple enough.

The town would oversee the demolition of a rundown home at 46 Barbara Rd. and place a lien on the property to protect the cost of that demolition.

But the applause from residents of the neighborhood right after the unanimous vote hinted at a deeper significance. Indeed, the tale of the home is one of sadness but at the same time a neighborhood that has rallied together.

Neighbors at the meeting thanked council members for at least setting a plan in place, ending a four-year saga.

Problems with the home, 3,058-square-foot contemporary, but built in 1988 and owned by Kenneth and Judy Buch, go back close to a decade, neighbors said. Judy is a ventriloquist who travels to area towns for shows for kids and corporations.

One neighbor at the council meeting called the home, "a beautiful house on a perfect lot owned by loving people." Traffic on the street was low and woods abutted the neighborhood in the back.

It was location, location, location.

Then, paradise was lost when cracks were found in the foundation during an inspection for a potential sale, according to neighbors. Neighbors said it was a "bad mix" of concrete by a company from Stafford that is no longer in business.

The condition of the home steadily deteriorated and the Buches were forced to move out. They were not at Tuesday's meeting.

Neighbors told the council the situation had become, "a safety concern."

Neighbors said they did not blame the Buches, but instead rallied with them to put pressure on the bank and the bank eventually relinquished its interest.

The town then jumped in. The cost estimate for demolition is between $20,000 and $30,000, Town Manager Steven Werbner said.

The plan is to have the house razed in the spring and clear the way for the  property to be sold as a building lot.

According to the assessor's map, the land measures 1.48 acres.