January 09, 2015
Google StreetView/for PhillyVoice
The mansion's old look was white. That new wrap is black.
A vacant mansion in Cherry Hill received a dark makeover when it was deemed unsafe by township officials, according to the Courier-Post.
The unfinished, 20,000-square-foot building at 1138 Winding Drive was previously covered in disheveled sheets of clear plastic. Its empty window frames gave the abandoned estate an overall melancholy appearance.
The mansion was rewrapped with an ominous black covering, taking it from a plastic-wrapped eyesore to an eerie presence.
A township inspector visited the estate in September and October of last year after receiving complaints from nearby residents, the Courier-Post reports. Neighbors felt that the building's condition had worsened since construction had stopped at least two years prior.
According to the Courier-Post story:
The inspector found a chain-link fence intended to secure the property was damaged and falling down, said township spokeswoman Bridget Palmer.
The inspector even found chairs set up inside the darkened building — an indication teens were partying there or raccoons entertain more formally than you'd think.
The result was a $2,000 fine for the property's owner, Denise Williams, who also was ordered to address the township's concerns. The new covering was in place when the inspector returned in November.
Township officials said they contact Williams via a post office box. Her construction permits for the site are reported to be valid through at least year-end 2015.
The property's owner was originally reported to be singer Deniece Williams, which was later discredited.
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