By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — It seems like Casco has embarked on a crusade to rid the town of inhabitable, unsafe buildings.

Before the snow had melted, a home with a collapsing roof was removed from the property off Route 11 and near Cooks Mills Road.

Next, on the demolition agenda is a fire-damaged home near Coffee Pond on Route 11.

During a regular meeting on Aug. 20, Town Manager Dave Morton updated the Casco Board of Selectmen on the status of several demolition projects.

Those projects include the removal of the Memorial School. The town has owned the building and property for several years, since the School Administrative District (SAD) No. 61 closed its offices there and handed ownership back to the town.

The request for bids for the job of removing the building was officially made public in late August, Morton said. The job will include salvaging the masonry as well as properly handling hazardous materials such as asbestos.

Bid packages are available at the town office.

During the past six months, the Casco Fire and Rescue Department was able to utilize the building for night vision training and other types of rescue training.

Demolition of the buildings on Burgess Road is slated to start this week. The road will be closed to through traffic while the demolition takes place.

That project was offered as two bids proposals because the structures were located on opposite sides of the road, according to Morton. One bid was for demolition of the home and a small shed; the second bid was for removal of a large milking barn.

Robert Varney Remodeling was awarded both bids in late July.

Recently, the homeowner gave the town permission to salvage items of historical value — such as a weather vane on the milking barn — and donate those things to the Raymond-Casco Historical Society, Morton said.

The owner of another home, the one that caught fire, has given the town the go-ahead to demolish the house.

“The owner did not have insurance, and is willing to allow the town to remove the building,” Morton said.

If another structure is not built in that home’s footprint within a year, then that setback will no longer be grandfathered in.