GIRARDVILLE - Two vacant lots on East Main Street in Girardville will become the site of a new funeral home in the near future.
During Thursday's meeting of Girardville Borough Council, two motions were accepted unanimously to move forward on the sale of 13 and 15 E. Main St. to Charles C. Heizenroth III, owner/operator of Kull-Heizenroth Funeral Home in Ashland. The sale of 13 E. Main depends on approval from the Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas.
Earlier this year, the borough acquired control through a court procedure involving a conservatorship of 13 E. Main St., which had a dilapidated three-story building that was collapsing over time. The vacant building, owned by Terrence and Claudette Hodge, was a hazard not only for pedestrians and motor vehicles if it had collapsed onto the street, but it was also a danger to two neighboring properties to the west - Centiole's Pizza and Vanity Boutique.
The building was demolished in early March through grant funding made available through the county. The building owner offered the vacant lot at 15 E. Main St. to the borough at a minimal cost, to which the borough agreed.
Borough solicitor Christopher Riedlinger explained at the meeting that before the borough can sell 13 E. Main, the county court must authorize the transaction.
"That lot is the one we are the conservator for under the state conservatorship act," Riedlinger said. "There is a hearing scheduled on Wednesday, August 14, at 2 p.m. in front of Judge (Cyrus Palmer) Dolbin. We are asking as a conservator for permission to sell the property with good title, free and clear of all liens to a buyer."
The two motions passed by borough council were done so conditionally on the approval by Dolbin. The first motion authorizes the borough to sell 13 E. Main St. property, with the sale executed by any two council members on behalf of the borough. The second motion authorized a member of council to execute any documents requested by the buyer to finalize the sale.
Riedlinger also asked for approval of a tentative bill of sale drawn up by Heizenroth's attorney to purchase both vacant lots. He asked for the approval in order to show Dolbin that there is an interested buyer. Riedlinger said the borough will sell the properties for $1,500 each, or a total of $3,000.
On Friday, Heizenroth said the number of funerals from Girardville has increased, prompting him to consider opening a funeral home in the borough.
"I'm in the process of working with an architect and a local builder, Bann Homes of Girardville," Heizenroth said. "I'm planning at this point to build a new funeral home. I decided to come here because Girardville needs a funeral home. I've had quite a few funerals there. I had two last week."
Heizenroth said that he investigated existing buildings in the borough for a possible location, but due to the need to upgrade the buildings in order to meet modern building codes and meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, constructing a new building was the best option.
"It was just more practical to build from scratch in order to comply with the new regulations and have a new, larger and modern funeral home," Heizenroth said.
If the court approves the sale, Heizenroth hopes to begin construction in October, with completion by year's end.
"Hopefully, if we won't have any major hitches, we can get it up before the winter," Heizenroth said.