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Neighbors frustrated with vandalism at vacant Midvale homes purchased by UDOT

Posted at 7:00 AM, Dec 10, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-10 09:23:53-05

MIDVALE, Utah -- Residents in Midvale are upset about ongoing vandalism at homes purchased by UDOT that now sit vacant.

Several unoccupied homes in the area of 80th South and Adams Street are covered in graffiti, and some neighbors feel the state should be doing more to address the issues.

The Utah Department of Transportation proposed purchasing 49 homes in the area as part of a plan to widen northbound I-15. Of those homeowners, 32 agreed to sell.

Those homes remain standing three months after the public comment period for the project ended.

Residents like Sue Wilson said they feel the vacant homes are creating an unsafe environment.

"If my mom were still up the street, we would have her move," Wilson said. "It wouldn't be a safe environment for her. Instead of there being a hundred kids playing and riding bikes, now it's blighted and uninhabitable."

John Gleason, a UDOT Spokesman, said they hear those concerns.

"Any issues that we've had with trespassing or spray painting: Those will be addressed once we start demolishing the homes," Gleason said. "And we understand. That's a frustration for the people that live out in that area."

The first of the vacant homes is slated for demolition the week of December 17, according to UDOT, and the agency plans to demolish three to five homes each week moving forward from there.