By Kevin Hanson-The Courier-Herald

Enumclaw city officials have taken the unusual step of demanding that a downtown building be cleaned up and have taken formal action in hopes of getting the owner to comply.

The owner doesn't see things quite the same way and has challenged the city's action.

At issue is the brick building at the corner of Railroad Street and Marshall Avenue. Now vacant, it was, for decades, home to a dry-cleaning operation.

It's unusual for the city to take action against an individual property, admitted Mike Thomas, director of the city's Department of Community Development.

Officially, the city issued a “Notice and Order to Abate” the property. According to a legal notice posted by the city, the move was taken “to preserve the health, safety and welfare of the community.”

The city took action early this year and owner Henry Vanderwel, through his attorney, Barry Kombol, appealed in late February. A public hearing took place before the city's hearing examiner in April, during which both sides made their arguments. A decision was put on hold until Friday, when each side is scheduled to provide additional information to the hearing examiner, who will then have 10 days to render a decision.

Thomas said the hearing examiner has three options: to order that the building be torn down; that it be brought up to code; or that it be “mothballed,” which would still require that it be safe.

It is “highly unusual” that city government has taken such a step, Thomas said, but he defended the action by noting that both the city's building official and fire marshall supported the decision. There are structural concerns, he said, in addition to fears that the ground has become contaminated through years of commercial operation on the site.

Kevin Hanson can be reached at khanson@courierherald.com.