Ellsworth is set to pay $19,360 for last year’s demolition of a home that was partially destroyed by a 2023 fire and then left in disrepair for two years, though the city hopes to recoup the cost from the property owners.
The home, located at 7 Fairground Road, was uninhabitable following the February 2023 fire. After the property owners delayed repairing the damage for over two years, the city demolished the home in July 2025.
The city will front the demolition bill but plans to recover the cost through “appropriate legal and financial mechanisms,” according to Robert Grant, the city’s code enforcement officer.
The demolition’s full bill — around $42,000 — includes the cost of hauling the debris to the transfer station and the wages for the public works crew, which was about $23,000. The city is charging the owners the full amount.
“While the city is responsible for completing the work to ensure public safety, the costs associated with the demolition, including labor and materials, are being assessed to the property,” Grant said.
The City Council on Monday voted 5-2 to pay for the demolition from the city’s capital reserve fund. Councilors Steven O’Halloran and Patrick Shea opposed the motion.
The city is hoping to recoup the demolition cost by adding it to the owners’ property tax bill. If left unpaid, the city could place a lien on the property and later foreclose for non-payment, according to city officials.
The home, which sits off Main Street, caught fire on the morning of Feb. 20, 2023, causing extensive damage to the second floor and displacing three occupants — a couple with ongoing medical issues and their son, who was caring for them at the time, according to the Ellsworth American.
The city gave the homeowners multiple opportunities to repair the structure before the City Council declared it a dangerous building and ordered its demolition. Although the homeowners assured the council they could restore the home within six months, that never happened, according to a March 2025 city memo.
