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City Councilwoman Faces Criminal Charge for Roofless Garage
by Amy Biegelsen
A building code violation dating from January 2005 has finally landed Richmond City Council Vice President Delores McQuinn in court.
The charge stems from the poor condition of a garage at the back of a property she owns at the corner of 31st and East Broad streets in Church Hill. McQuinn says she and her husband, Jonathan, a co-defendant, are renovating the house on the property and plan to move in when the work is completed. Currently the McQuinns reside a few blocks away on 35th Street.
"We were renovating a property and the garage we were working on became an issue, and it shouldn't have been an issue," says McQuinn, who characterizes the incident as part of the current "political whirlwind" at City Hall.
Building code violations are criminal charges that carry a maximum $2,500 fine.
The city says the roofless red brick garage with only two walls is unstable and in danger of collapsing. McQuinn, however, says ongoing road construction prevented her and her husband from stabilizing the garage sooner. She's planting an arbor in the open space where the roofless garage stands.
Because the case is pending, Building Commissioner Art Dahlberg declined to comment. McQuinn will appear in Richmond General District Court May 22. S
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The charge stems from the poor condition of a garage at the back of a property she owns at the corner of 31st and East Broad streets in Church Hill. McQuinn says she and her husband, Jonathan, a co-defendant, are renovating the house on the property and plan to move in when the work is completed. Currently the McQuinns reside a few blocks away on 35th Street.
"We were renovating a property and the garage we were working on became an issue, and it shouldn't have been an issue," says McQuinn, who characterizes the incident as part of the current "political whirlwind" at City Hall.
Building code violations are criminal charges that carry a maximum $2,500 fine.
The city says the roofless red brick garage with only two walls is unstable and in danger of collapsing. McQuinn, however, says ongoing road construction prevented her and her husband from stabilizing the garage sooner. She's planting an arbor in the open space where the roofless garage stands.
Because the case is pending, Building Commissioner Art Dahlberg declined to comment. McQuinn will appear in Richmond General District Court May 22. S
Click here for more News and Features
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