NATCHEZ — Last week when the Natchez Preservation Commission ruled two historic properties as being demolished by neglect, it was out of serious concern for the buildings’ deplorable conditions.

Both Arlington and the former First Baptist Church have been sitting vacant and crumbling for years and the city is ready to see something done.

Since the structures are historic properties, regulations prohibit their outright destruction.

Demolition by neglect means that a structure is being demolished by default, City Planner John “Rusty” Lewis said.

“No one’s actively taking a sledgehammer to it but it’s deteriorating and that neglect is causing its demolition,” Lewis said.

By declaring these building demolition by neglect, the commission gave the initiative or go ahead to the planning department to issue a letter to the building inspector.

Building Inspector Paul Dawes said he then will inspect said buildings and determine what needs to be repaired that will correct the demolition.

Dawes said once that’s established, he’ll send a letter to the property owner making them aware of the situation.

If the owner does not make the corrections within 30 days they will have to appear before the commission and explain themselves.

“After that it’s a matter of them following through and repairing the building or facing charges,” Dawes said.

Lewis said the ball is beginning to roll on the process.

“Paul Dawes and I are coordinating to go through the formal state process of demolition by neglect approach for both Arlington and the First Baptist Church,” he said. “The preservation commission is giving us that mandate and I suspect that it will be a well supported mandate within the city organization.”

Arlington has several issues that need to be addressed, Dawes said.

“They are too numerous to list,” he said. “It’s horrible, it’ll make you want to cry.”

He said the kitchen wall has partially collapsed and needs to be replaced and so does the back gallery on the main house.

“All the windows and doors will have to be repaired and put back in place, right now the building is wide open to the world,” he said.

Which is a situation that has led to criminal inhabitants.

Broken windows and removed doors have created opportunities for structures to be stolen and more damage to be done.

Natchez Police Chief Mike Mullins said something has to be done.

“Unless that building is secured and taken care of it’s going to continue to get worse,” he said.

Though criminal activity around the area is prevalent, he said it’s a difficult area to patrol.

“It’s hard to patrol it because it’s at the end of a dead end and it’s grown up with weeds and trees,” he said. “We do try to drive through and check it at night but it’s too hard to see.

“Unless we catch people when we drive back there, it’s very difficult to watch.”

Dawes said he’s tried to send letters to owner Dr. Thomas Vaughan in May, but both have come back unclaimed.

He said if action is taken soon the building can be salvaged.

“The structure is reasonably sound,” Dawes said. “It can be saved, it’s not that far gone yet.

“It won’t be long before it is.”

As far as the former First Baptist Church, it was purchased by Dream Homes Inc., in Marrero, some time ago with the intent to convert them into condominiums.

After hitting a few stumbling blocks with the preservation commission earlier this year, they got the complete go ahead to start construction yet haven’t.

Preservation Commission Chairman Marty Seibert said it’s been ruled demolition by neglect because it’s become a safety hazard.

She said she’s received several complaints from citizens expressing their worries and it has been a concern of the commission for some time.