Telephone Hill eviction for Juneau’s oldest house narrows to court deciding Jan. 21 or Feb. 28
- Mark Sabbatini
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Maureen Conerton and Jeff Brown not contesting CBJ’s right to evict, but seeking later move-out date due to medical difficulties, delays in renovations to home they’re moving to
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
The final unresolved eviction dispute on Telephone Hill — involving the oldest house in Juneau — is now about whether the people living here will have to move out by Jan. 21 or Feb. 28.
Maureen Conerton, her husband Jeff Brown and a caretaker are still living at the Edward Webster House, long after most of their neighbors had vacated their homes by a Nov. 1 eviction deadline imposed by the City and Borough of Juneau, which owns the properties. The couple had reached an agreement with the city to move out by Nov. 24, with CBJ subsequently filing an eviction lawsuit when they remained well past that date.
During a court hearing Friday that lasted more than two hours, Conerton and other family members testified an Auke Bay home the couple plans to move to is taking longer than expected to renovate. Also, they testified, Brown’s disabilities due to Parkinson’s Disease means a near-term move to a home still undergoing construction is not practical or good for his health.
"I'm worried that if we move and he's not able to do what he's doing now — sleep during the day — my job is to try to keep him as healthy and stable as possible," Conerton testified. "And so I'm afraid that that might cause him to deteriorate in some way."
Superior Court Judge Amanda Browning, in two earlier cases involving Telephone Hill evictions, ruled the city has the right as the landlord to evict tenants, and that efforts by residents to preserve the historic homes from demolition is a separate legal matter. Mary Alice McKeen, an attorney representing Conerton and Brown, told the judge the couple isn’t contesting the city’s right to evict tenants, but rather what is a reasonable deadline date given the circumstances.
No ruling was issued on Friday due to the hearing extending past its scheduled duration, with Browning continuing the case until next Friday when additional witnesses and closing arguments are scheduled.
The Jan. 21 move-out date sought by the city is the same set during a prior eviction case hearing for John Ingalls and Rachel Beck at another Telephone Hill residence. Ingalls testified at that hearing last month he hasn’t lived at the residence for several years, but he still has an instrument-making workshop there and other people have stayed at the house.
At that same hearing a move-out deadline of Friday was set for Joseph Karson, as the lone occupant of a third residence on Telephone Hill. His attorney, Fred Triem, said Friday that Karson moved out well before the deadline date.
City officials — while approving the redevelopment plan last summer and during recent court hearings — have noted that residents on Telephone Hill have been renting the homes there for decades knowing there were plans to redevelop the neighborhood. Those plans gained speed when the city acquired the property from the state in 2022, with the Juneau Assembly in early June of last year approving a plan that required residents there to evict the properties this fall.
City leaders are planning to demolish the seven existing single- and multi-family residences, and replace them with four midrise apartments with 155 total residential units.
Assistant City Attorney Clinton Mitchell, during Friday’s hearing, asked Conerton how long she’s been aware of the impending evictions, and if she "ever consider(ed) looking for a more stable rental location or purchasing a home" once the city’s redevelopment intentions were clear. Conerton said the demands of helping her husband through care and everyday matters, and the challenges of evaluating residences that would be suitable given his needs, made such relocation planning a challenge.
The three-story Auke Bay home the couple plans to move to is owned by Conerton’s son, Colin, who said renovation work includes soundproofing the ground-level floor where Brown, his stepdad, will live. Extensive other work throughout the house is also being done since other family members, including sister Callie, will be living there as well, in part to help care for Brown.
"In good faith, I appreciate the city's position. I understand their desire to continue up on Telephone Hill and do what they're going to do," Colin Conerton testified. "I'm just facing the realities of the world. I don't know how else to put it. The realities are it doesn't move as fast as I'd like it to."
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
