FORT THOMAS — The owner of a house where more than 100 cats were removed last summer will be permitted to renovate the structure after a vote by the city's Board of Housing Appeals Thursday night.

        The board voted 4-1 to rescind an earlier demolition order from the city building services director.

Sarakatsannis

        They instead issued a new order that permits 32-year-old Phillip Sarakatsannis to spend an estimated $85,000 to bring the house back to near-original condition.

        The house had belonged to his mother, Bonnie Sarakatsannis, 69, who spent three weeks lying in the garage of the Scenic View Drive home last summer suffering from a broken hip and other ailments before being taken to the hospital. She died about a week later.

        Mr. Sarakatsannis faces a criminal charge of abuse by a caregiver because of his mother's condition before her death.

        In changing the demolition order, the board set a series of conditions on the restoration of the house, including re-evaluation by a structural engineer after the interior has been gutted and before rebuilding begins, and a time limit of six months to complete the project.

        “That is not a problem,” said Gary Keller, one of the owners of A-Absolute Restoration of Fairfield, which will perform the task of eliminating bacteria and odor from the house, then rebuild its interior.

Police union backs accused officers
Internal probe clears officers
Mayor sees need to talk to heal racial divisions
Policeman ordered reinstated
A Survivor among us
'Survivor' a Tristate favorite
2 Tristate lawmakers in top posts
Ethics panel clears Ky. senator
Westwood to lead N.Ky. caucus
Forget Mardi Gras at MainStrasse
Property bought for UC medical complex
SAMPLES: 'Traffic'
CCM wins national design award
Flu concerns abate, but area hospitals remain on guard
Assembly takes on leftovers from 2000
Cold generates whopping tab
Deerfield sells off farmland
Ex-professor, provost mentioned as UK presidential candidates
Girl killed after video game knocked over
Health Cabinet must face shortfall
Legal Aid helps poor pay medical expenses
Legislators to get plan reforming elections
Meth lab suspect gets one break
New alternative to bypass surgery
Owner of house with cats will be allowed to rebuild
School board aims for improvements
UK president criticized for NCAA inquiry
Veto of captain's post invalidated
Voter registration deadline Monday
Year-round schools impress many
Kentucky News Briefs
Tristate A.M. Report