IRVINE : Parties to Try Again to Avert Home Demolition

City officials will meet with Haym and Fern Ganish on Friday afternoon in a last-ditch attempt to prevent the demolition of their home.

After a 13-year tug of war between the Ganish family and the city over the remodeling of their ranch-style home into a stone-covered castle, a Superior Court last week refused to block the city from tearing down the house. City officials claim the house is a safety hazard.

But Mayor Michael Ward said he will try one last time to forge a compromise that will spare the Kron Street home while guaranteeing the completion of construction work.

Fern Ganish agreed to meet with Ward and Councilwoman Paula Werner in the Costa Mesa offices of Irvine City Atty. Joel D. Kuperberg.

Fern Ganish pleaded no contest in November to criminal charges of failing to bring the house into compliance with building and safety codes. In exchange for her plea, the family was given one year to complete renovations. But she failed to meet a Dec. 9 deadline to file building plans with the city and post a $50,000 bond.

Haym Ganish refused to take part in the compromise agreement, and criminal charges filed against him by the city are pending.