Business owners and those concerned about the future of the buildings in the 100 to 600 blocks of West Market Street in Pottsville can voice opinions at a summit at Pottsville Free Public Library in July, Thomas A. Palamar, city administrator, said Tuesday.
"We want to hear from people who care enough to see change. We want people to put ideas on the table. And we want to determine what are the most pressing projects. This isn't about us saying what's right for the community. This is about the community saying what's right for them," Palamar said at the June meeting of the Pottsville Blight and Nuisance Task Force held Tuesday at city hall.
The summit will be held from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. July 16 on the second-floor conference room at the 215 W. Market St. library, according to Amy S. Burkhart, executive director of the Pottsville Area Development Corporation.
In April, the city and PADCO started the first phase of its downtown anti-blight campaign with an evaluation of 61 buildings on that six-block stretch. They include those in Garfield Square and two landmarks, the eight-story Schuylkill Trust Co. and the six-story Thompson Building.
It's a three-step project. The first step, a public survey conducted by PADCO, is complete. The second is the blight task force's assessment of the 61 buildings in the target area.
By the end of the day Tuesday, David J. Petravich, the city's building code officer, and Justin D. Trefsger, the city's code enforcement officer, had completed assessments of 44 of those 61 buildings in the area.
Step three is the summit, Palamar said.
In other matters, the blight task force recently put together a to-do list for property owners who are fire victims. On Monday, the city sent the first copy to Mike Ghannoum, Ashland, the owner of the six-unit apartment building at 218 W. Market St., which was ravaged by fire May 24.
"It's coincidental that this fire took place right smack dab in the middle of our target area for this new initiative," Palamar said.
The June 2 letter was signed by Todd March, city fire chief, and Petravich.
"We are willing to assist you in any way possible in this difficult time. As an initial step in that process, we would like to inform you of several issues that must be addressed to protect you, your property and the neighborhood," the letter states.
The letter listed six issues:
- Within 72 hours following after a fire, the building must be secured and insurance information must be sent to city hall.
- "The property must be maintained in a manner that does not pose a safety or health problem. Fire debris - glass, wood, trash, furniture, etc. - must be cleared from the property, including the porch, yard and sidewalk, within 10 days from receipt of this notice."
- "Due to the fire damage and the property being an attractive nuisance that poses a threat to the public health and safety, I am issuing a repair/demolition notice on your property. Therefore, this structure must be made safe and sanitary through repairs or razed and removed at the owner's option within 30 days from the receipt of this notice."
- The sidewalk and yard must be cleared of grass, weeds, snow and ice according to city codes.
- The property must be posted to prevent trespassing.
- Utilities must be disconnected if necessary.
The city gave Ghannoum the right to appeal the order within 20 days and mailed the letter to Ghannoum's Pottsville office at Mike Ghannoum Art at 2-4 N. Centre St.
The letter was sent as a reminder. Ghannoum has been in contact with the city as he takes steps to evaluate his damaged property, March and Petravich said Tuesday.
Prior to the May 24 fire, 218 W. Market St. was up to code and wasn't on the blight list. But due to the fire damage, it was put on the blight list Tuesday, March said.
"In the past two years, we've experienced fires, and the remnants of the fires have caused problems in the neighborhood for one reason or another. One of the bigger issues that we have facing us as far as a blight task force is fire properties. After a fire, if a property is attached or in a row in a neighborhood and it isn't being demolished or secured quickly enough, it really creates problems, serious problems. It could become an attractive nuisance to kids or a harborage to rats or high weeds. And there's a smell that comes out of a burnt building as well. The last thing you want to do after someone has a fire is be cold-hearted. We want to be as compassionate as possible. But I think after the shock of the fire ends, the building owners need to realize they need to help the community as well," Palamar said.