FARMINGTON — Rain and injuries have slowed the razing and removal of debris from a Maple Avenue home destroyed by fire.

The owners were looking for more time to complete the work, the Board of Selectmen chose to uphold a prior agreement for a Sept. 1 deadline.

The home of Benjamin and Jonathan Cummings at 185 Maple Ave. was mostly destroyed by a fire late last year. The board has sought removal of the charred remains over the past few months. Progress has been made, Chairman Stephan Bunker said.

The front section has been taken down but a large pile of debris remains with the deadline looming. They are presently going over the debris to determine what is salvageable, Jonathan Cummings said. They are also checking on an area trucker to haul away what isn’t salvageable. Cummings said he injured his back and ankle working on the project, which was also slowed down over the summer by rain.

The ell and barn are structurally sound and do not need to be removed, according to a memo prepared by Code Enforcement Officer Steve Kaiser.

“I don’t like going up that road looking at it any better than anyone else,” said Benjamin Cummings as he asked the board for more time.

The house located next to the back entrance to the Farmington Fairgrounds prompted board members to agree they would like to see the work completed prior to Farmington Fair week in September. The agreement between the town and brothers set the Sept. 1 deadline for cleanup or the town would hire a contractor to do it and put a lien on the property to pay for it.

Selectman Jon Bubier suggested the board keep the original agreement because the work is expected to be done before a court date could be secured. The board also wanted to hear an update at their next meeting Sept. 8.

abryant@sunjournal.com

The deadline is near for removing the charred remains of this Maple Avenue home in Farmington. The owners have razed the front part of the home but have a pile of debris to remove. The ell and barn will not be razed.

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