Much to my surprise, I learned today that the Princeton City Council is going to don another hat it is empowered to wear on behalf of the city it serves.

The City Council will sit on Aug. 12 as the Princeton Housing Standards Commission. It will meet to determine the fate of the unfinished apartment complex that has been rotting under the North Texas weather extremes for more than a year.

The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. at the Princeton Municipal Complex. The council/housing commission will determine whether the existing units comply with municipal building codes, regulations and standards.

Now, we’re getting somewhere, ladies and gents.

The Princeton Herald did a great job uncovering much of what has gone wrong with this apartment complex, which sits just east of Wal-Mart along US Highway 380. How do I say this nicely? I cannot. The project is a disaster, a hideous eyesore and is a blight on this vibrant, growing community I have had the pleasure of calling home for the past five years.

If the council determines it meets code, then there ought to be a probe into wholesale corruption at City Hall. There is no way on this good Earth the complex holds up.

The city has issued a notice of violation, noting evidence of mold/mildew, degraded oriented strand board, a lack of adequate fire protection, bottom plates sitting in rainwater, missing, damaged and improperly installed structural components, leaks in the roof and electrical work violations.

Pffew! It takes my breath away.

The city approved the complex in 2017 and issued a building permit in October 2021.

Then it went straight to hell.

Back when it was conceived, developers presented this project as comprising luxury apartments. It meant to describe three-story garden-style units on the15-acre site.

Well, what does one say about it now, other than to wish it would just plain go away?

I know this much. Prior to hearing about the Aug. 12 meeting at the city municipal complex, I had no plans for that evening.

Now, I do.