For years a property in the 1300 block of East Cameron Ave. (US 79) has sent a “message” to motorists approaching it on the highway.
Now it is sending a different kind of message.
Perry & Perry Builders erected a sign Thursday morning telling visitors, and long-time residents alike, “Milam County A Cleaner Place to Live!”
County Judge Steve Young had advised commissioners of the plan the previous Monday.
The county has spent $230,000 on the cleanup of the former Richie Thrasher place, 1300 and 1328 East Cameron. It has recouped—“precouped” would be a better word— $76,000 from an auction last November.
Now the task is to sell the property. Young told commissioners the next step will be to procure an appraisal.
SAGA—For years the county, and City of Rockdale, have been attempting to get the property cleaned up after receiving numerous complaints about it being an “eyesore.”
Officials also noted it is located on the major highway through town.
The actual legal battle has now lasted more than a year and a half.
In March, 2018, Thrasher was found guilty in Rockdale Municipal Court on six counts of keeping a junkyard within 1,000 feet of a highway and was assessed the first in a series of fines.
There were repeated attempts at forcing a property cleanup by both the city and county, including a 30-day deadline to begin cleaning up the site, a deadline which was not met, according to Young.
In June, 2019, Thrasher was indicted by a Milam County Grand Jury for bail jumping/failure to appear after missing a court date and was arrested.
In September, after missing another court date, he was indicted again on the same charge and was again arrested and he was fined $62,000.
For a month following the auction last November, the two-acre property has been a beehive of work during the past couple of weeks as buyers hauled off items they purchased.
Tires were hauled off and taken to a location in Bell County.
Then a contractor moved on-site and was paid $1,500 per day for his work.
That project included a dozer, skid steer and excavator.
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