Time To Tear Down The Robert E. Lee

By Bristol Herald Courier Editorial Board

Published: June 11, 2008

In its glory days, the Robert E. Lee Motel must have been a haven for weary travelers on Lee Highway.
Those days are long past, and the motel is slowly crumbling. It is a blighted, neglected structure that should be razed – for aesthetic and safety reasons.
Washington County leaders are aware of the problem. (How could they not be if they travel Lee Highway at all?) Yet, they show no signs that they will act.
Worse, they indicate a loophole in the county building code might prevent condemnation of any structure – no matter how dangerous – if it was built before 1971. If this is the case, the Board of Supervisors must amend the building code to allow condemnation of older, dilapidated structures that pose a threat to people or are an obvious blight on the community.
The sad state of the Robert E. Lee was the focus of Bristol Herald Courier Assistant City Editor Mark Hicks’ Monday column. Hicks investigated after a reader submitted a question about the motel’s status.
The reader put in words what many of us think when we drive past the Robert E. Lee between Bristol and Abingdon. She described the structure as “dangerous looking” and wondered what was “going on with it.”
Bill Cole, a county building official, wasn’t surprised by the question. Cole described the building as an eyesore and a safety hazard. He and county Supervisor Paul Price, an elected official who must answer to voters, admit they have fielded multiple complaints about the motel.
Which begs the question: What will it take to prompt county officials to begin the legal condemnation process? Surely, they aren’t willing to wait until someone gets hurt. The decaying structure reflects badly on the community, and we’re pretty certain it’s not on the official tour when county economic development officials bring industrial prospects to town.
Cole and Price defended the county’s inaction by making reference to the uniform building codes adopted back in 1971. By their interpretation, the code contains a heck of a grandfather clause, prohibiting its application to any structure that already existed 37 years ago.
Interestingly, the state’s uniform building code – most recently updated in 2006 – contains an entire section on maintenance. It appears to allow condemnation and demolition of structures deemed unsafe or unfit for human habitation, regardless of the age of the structure. Perhaps the county merely needs to update its building code to reflect state law.
If it is more complicated than a mere update, the county’s lawyers should be able to find a way to accomplish what is obviously in the public interest – eliminating a dangerous, unsightly structure.
The Robert E. Lee casts a negative shadow over an otherwise growing retail area. County leaders must do more than listen and nod in agreement at residents’ complaints. They must act.