Reconstruction of a fourunit apartment building which caught fire in March 2022 will continue to be on hold. At least for now.

In its inaugural meeting on June 29, the Board of Appeals for Eureka Springs voted 4-0 to uphold a stop work order issued by city building inspector Jacob Coburn for the property at 1 Washington St. after hearing a little more than an hour of discussion from property owner Bill King and city officials.

“I think I’ll make a motion that the stop work order stays in effect until such time that we get the proper documentation or plans, structural analysis or certification from a licensed official submitted to the proper authorities for approval,” said board member Mickey Finefield, who earlier in the meeting was elected as the group’s chair. “Once that approval is granted, then we can lift the stop order.”

Of two main issues of contention, one was resolved. After the board heard from a Eureka Springs Fire Department official that a third-level room would not be safe to be rebuilt on the structure, city planner and historic preservation officer Kyle Palmer told the board he would recommend to the Historic District Commission that it approve the plans that do not include that extra room.

“That can go to sleep,” Finefield said on the issue of the third-level room.

That left one final hurdle for King, getting a proper documentation from a certified professional structural engineer that the building is safe to occupy.

Documents submitted about the safety of the building were prepared by a professional engineer not licensed as a structural engineer who has recently been investigated and reprimanded by the state, board members were told.

“We need a licensed structural engineer to go in there and make sure it is safe for a multi-family unit,” one board member said. “You know, something could happen if it’s not done right.” King told board members that it has been difficult trying to find a structural engineer to survey his property. An out-of-state firm said it could perform the survey for approximately $13,000, but King said he will continue to look for licensed affordable options.

He will get that done as soon as he can and submit the documents to the HDC, King told the appeals board.

“It seems like there’s a fairly clear path to resolving this,” one board member told King.

Board member Wes Beaver abstained from the vote, saying he had done the electrical work on the reconstruction of King’s property. Other board members include Finefield; David Williamson, who was elected vice chair; Bill Hathaway; and Steve Kubecka. All members are licensed professionals in various building and construction trades.