By LEAH WEATHERSBY

The two-story aqua blue office/warehouse at 9221 Roosevelt Way NE in the Maple Leaf neighborhood looks innocuous enough, nestled between houses, an auto repair shop and stores, but some neighbors are worried about the presence of the occupant that building, a business called TLH Abatement.

TLH is a demolition company that deals with the removal of hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead-based paint.

The company has been involved in at least one high-profile project: the King Dome demolition. For that, they won a Special Merit Award from the Associated Builders & Contractors of Western Washington.

But the accolades that TLH has received from peers within its industry isnıt quelling the concerns of area residents.

Barbara Maxwell, a member of the Maple Leaf Community Council, complains that since TLH moved into the neighborhood in the late ı80s, the company has grown bigger and busier.

From an official standpoint, the community council is not opposed to TLH having its offices in their neighborhood. The council is concerned, however, that the company could be using its property to temporarily store potentially hazardous materials prior to disposing of them.

John Toelken, a neighbor whose home is located right across the street from TLH, said the company has parked a 40-foot semi-trailer on its lot that he believes may have been used to transport hazardous waste.

Toelken also believes TLH may have operated a decontamination chamber on its property that may still be located there.

The Jet City Maven has been unable to confirm Toelkenıs allegations. TLH president Tim Ozog would only comment briefly to the Maven, saying in January that his company was planning to move. He would not say when or where. Since then, TLH officials have declined to return repeated calls requesting additional information.

In the meantime, TLHıs semi-trailer appears to have found a new home. Toelken said he has seen the trailer on N 140th Street, about a block east of Aurora, in the Haller Lake neighborhood. The trailer and some TLH trucks are parked right across the street from houses and apartments.

Toelken and other Maple Leaf residents have also complained of being disturbed by TLH trucks coming and going from the companyıs building late at night. TLH advertises that it offers 24-hour emergency service.

Toelken said even though he and his wife Camille lived near TLH for years, it wasnıt until 1997 that they became really concerned about the business. He said thatıs when they noticed a black liquid leaking from the semi-trailer parked on TLHıs property.

While it isnıt known what that liquid might have been, Toelken said even to this day he still warns parents not to let their kids play near the spot where he saw the leak. Toelken said he called several state and local agencies and finally got the Cityıs Department of Design Construction and Land Use (DCLU) to inspect the site in 1998.

According to the Christopher Ndifon, a land-use planner with DCLU, TLH has been operating without a permit allowing it to perform construction services on its premises.

The prior tenant of the TLH building was a business called Modern Products, had a permit that allowed light manufacturing work to be conducted on that property.

According to Maxwell, Modern Products made plastic containers and also did commercial printing work.

Ndifon said TLH needs to apply to the City for a new permit because light manufacturing does not include construction services, which are usually only permitted in areas zoned for heavy industrial use.

According to Maxwell, Toelken and another neighborhood resident, Vincent Slupski, Ozog recently attended a meeting of the Maple Leaf Community Council where the TLH owner acknowledged that his company had been operating without a construction services permit. Ozog explained that he wasnıt aware that he needed a change-of-use permit.

Ndifon noted that TLH did in fact recently apply for a construction services permit, but he added that the City has not yet approved that request. Before the City can grant TLH a new permit, corrections to the companyıs application are needed. As of the Jet City Mavenıs press time, TLH had yet to resubmit a corrected permit application.

Meanwhile, Toelken and his wife continue to worry about the impacts on their neighborhood if TLH does eventually get their permit.

³I can understand that they need to conduct their business,² Toelken said, ³but thereıs a reason for zoning.²

For more information, contact Christopher Ndifon at DCLU at 684-5046.