Lake Shore Rd. structure razed as requested by Town of Grafton

Excavators recently removed a dilapidated structure after the Grafton Town Board issued a raze order in October. 

Town Chairman Lester Bartel said a residential-type structure at 614 Lake Shore Rd. was built in the mid-1980s with no permits from the town. The structure abuts a neighboring property line. 

“The issue of demolishing the structure on the property has been an emotional issue for our beneficiary,” said Victor Schultz of Prairie Trust, a trustee of the estate overseeing the property.

“We’ve gone through periods of (her) being cooperative and not being cooperative.”

The property belongs to the trust of James Dutton, who is deceased. Bartel said he is not sure if Dutton built the structure. 

Michelle Glasshof, the  beneficiary of the trust who lives on the property, initially opposed razing the structure.

In October, Bartel said the town would remove the structure as a last resort because it will take a lengthy time to recoup the cost of the demolition.

In September, the board agreed to give the trust 30 days to have a contractor in place and 60 days to raze the structure. 

“As trustee of the property, we have no objection to the raze order. We initially had difficulty finding an excavator,” Schultz said during the Dec. 11 Town Board meeting.

Schultz said the structure was to be demolished in early December, but the beneficiary changed her mind. Two days before the board meeting, she relented.

Officials said work began on the property Dec. 16.

A temporary storage unit was placed on the property to house any personal belongings in the structure.

Bartel said he was pleased a solution was reached before the town could take action.