Attorney says APS vouched for historic building’s safety
by Mark Cowling | Florence Reminder & Blade Tribune
Town officials knew a historic downtown store’s electrical system was safe but ordered it closed anyway, the owner’s attorney told the town’s new board of appeals Tuesday.
The town had a letter from the electric utility, APS, dated March 9, that verified the system was “completely safe,” John Munger told the board. A copper ground wire had been stolen, but this did not render the overall system unsafe, and APS’ own system served as a backup, Munger said.
Nevertheless, the town gave the tenants, Conquest Arms gun shop, 15 minutes to vacate due to the supposed danger in mid-March, Munger continued. This left building owner Gem Cox with loss of income, a vacant building, and the threat of litigation from his former tenants.
