Zoning Hearing Board - Regular Meeting

so so so so Thank you. Thank you. so so Yes, Mr. Yerkewitz, Mr. Spiker, Mr. Taylor, Ms. Peterson, Mr. Horton, Ms. King, Mr. Uelig, Mr. Snippert. Mr. Chair, we have a quorum.

Thank you. Next is the approval of minutes. Are there any corrections or amendments? Motion to approve. Aaron?

Second.

All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? None opposed? Passes. We'll now open the floor to public comment. Is there any public comment?

No.

No public comment? Thank you.

Secretary's report? I do not have a report today.

Okay. Well, thank you. Is there any old business to come before the committee?

Yeah, so we have some properties for rescission of blight.

The first list of properties here are properties that have been demolished and are vacant lots.

Many of these were demolished a couple of years ago. We didn't get the formalities taken care of with getting them in front of the board, so we've been auditing the list and trying to remove the properties that are eligible to be removed from the list. I'll give Aaron just a second to get the photos up, and each photo in order will be one picture for each lot. This first one is 621 Wallace Street. Now, this one was torn down this year by the land bank, and it's good to go.

Is that Wallace or Wayne?

Yeah, I was going to say. I'm sorry. I apologize. I misspoke again.

No, it is Wallace.

You are correct. Oh, I was correct?

Yeah, you were correct. It says Wayne on the sheet. That's what I'm asking.

Okay, 621 Wallace. Yeah, I guess let the record show that. 621 Wallace.

Yeah, it's 621 Wallace.

Okay. The next one we have is 602 West 9th. This was another land bank demo. This took place in October of 2024, and that photo was recent. The next one we have is 650 East 24th Street. That was demolished in May of 2023. Then we have 608 East 10th Street that was demolished in June of 2024. Then we have 743 East 18th Street that was demolished in March of 2023. Then 1153 East 19th Street. This was a fire damage structure that was demolished through emergency demolition by the city in September of 2024. Then we have 435 East 28th Street. This was a land bank demo. And then lastly, we have 621 Reed, which was demolished by the owner. And there was an agreement between the redevelopment authority and the owner, and then the property was demolished in September of 23. Those are the properties we have that are demos. And then the next property we have for resettlement of blight is an owner-facilitated rehab. This was, I'll give Aaron a moment to bring up the photos. This is a This is a picture perfect from blight to rescission to just about a brand new house. You'll be able to see the photos here. Many of you may know the property. It's on the corner of 9th and Liberty Street. There was a fire in the property. It was a mess. And they actually got a certificate of occupancy because they basically rebuilt the entire house.

Are they selling it, or did they sell it?

It's currently listed for rent.

Wow. Okay.

And those are the properties we have for rescission of life.

Does the board have any questions?

Well, there was one that you were talking about.

Yeah, it was... Demolished back in 2023, I believe that was the one. So it's been a while. Jake's just been diligently working through clearing the blight list of ones that a lot of times we demolish and it goes through its process, but then we just in the midst of business.

Yeah, so I've been trying to audit the list. Because when we go to look, when Aaron and I sit down and meet to talk about condemnation, we find all these properties. We go through the list, and it's like, this should have come off a list a long time ago. This should have, you know, so there I am. I'm just trying to get as many as I can.

Good. Good job. All right, do we have a motion to approve?

I will make a motion to approve all items and walk.

Second, Aaron. Okay. All those in favor, aye. Aye. Opposed? All right, passes. All right, new business.

Okay, for new business, we have a few properties here for declaration of late. I'll give Aaron a second, but the first property we have is 934 East 24th Street. This property is in the deeded owner's name since 1974. I've not been able to find any information about the owner. We've never gotten a response. They are Three years behind on taxes would be four years when this year's taxes come out for 23, 24, and 25 for just over $7,000. The electric is off. I was unable to find the gas meter when I was at the property. It was probably buried in some of the overgrowth. Erie Water Works, the water connection's been turned off for just about two years, since August 15th of 24, and they owe just shy of $700 for the water bill. This front porch has got some bracing on the front. You can see in the photographs, the roof has begun to collapse and it's appeared by pictures since we've started the case back in 2024 that the roof's been braced up like that ever since. And we've sent, so we have three cases, three notice of violations with no response from the owner. properties have been sitting vacant for at least the last two years because they haven't had water in two years, and they are three years with the potential to be four years behind in taxes.

Okay, is there any questions from the board? Okay, is there a second?

Okay.

Ms. King seconded. All those in favor, aye. Aye. Opposed? Okay, it passes.

Okay. Next we have 841 East 22nd Street. And I had taken some notes to talk about this property's history as far as transfers. So if we go back to 2013, this property was sold at tax sale. And then in 2017, four years later, it was sold on a quick claim deed for $1,000. Then in 2020, it was sold on another quick claim deed for $5,000. And then two months after that sale, it was sold again on a quick claim deed for 15,000. The property is vacant. They're behind in taxes for 2025 and potentially behind in taxes for this year for just over $1,800. There's no electric there and the water has been off since 2012. So that would be 2012 would be just before it was sold at tax sale in 2013 We've had exterior cases and issues with this property dating back to 2016 We've got a total of Five cases with the current owner And five notice of violations sent and posted to the structure and with to the current owner and in just the last year and we've never received a response so with this property being presumed vacant since 2012 with the lack of water and all of the the transfers over the years we're asking for a declaration of light okay are there any questions from the board I believe one of the neighbors did. When I was there earlier this year, it was extremely overgrown. This was referred to be early on in the year, and I went out, took some pictures, asked the inspector to send out some new notices to see if we could shake anything, and nothing had come back. And then when I was there to get pictures for the board today, I noticed that it was cut, and I just have to assume it was one of the neighbors. Both houses on either side were mowed, and I believe they just mowed that front section.

Okay. Do we have a motion to blight?

So moved, Aaron.

Okay. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? Okay. Passes.

Okay. Up next, we have a fire damage property that I personally done the code enforcement action with. This property is at 719 East 7th Street. The property was in fair condition up until the fire. And the fire took place on August 18th of last year, so just about a year ago. The taxes and they're not delinquent in taxes. The property is vacant. I have been there to secure the property on two separate occasions. And the property has transferred hands twice since the fire. And the first person that owned the property contacted myself about the notices that I have posted to the structure and asked what they were, you know, I said, well, you're going to need permits. It needs a lot of work. It's pretty badly damaged. They said, well, we're just going to sell it. And then it was sold again for this last sale was sold for 7,000 to the next owner. And that owner has not reached out. with the notices posted and notices sent, we haven't received any response. And due to the fact that people continue to break into it, I've had to be there to secure it. It's in the middle of the neighborhood. It's a mess. Nobody's cleaned it up. I'm asking for a black designation so that when somebody does decide to do this, hopefully we can get them to do it all according to code because they need some extensive repairs.

Are there any questions from the board? You've been inside this, right, Jake?

Yes, yes, I have. And I specifically checked off on the state requirements that this is an attractive nuisance for children. It's a fire hazard. As you guys all know, what the state statutes say, it only needs to mark one of those boxes. But the taxes and everything are current, and I understand that. The water's off. But this is an attractive nuisance for the neighborhood. It's just not something that we want to leave sitting in that condition. And I think our next step is a blight designation to try to get compliance.

Okay.

Do we have a motion to blight? So moved. Second? I'll second it. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? All right. Passes.

Okay. Next, we have 723 East 23rd Street. This property was obtained on tax sale in 2021, and they are quickly approaching tax sale again. They are delinquent for 23, 24 and 25 taxes for $6,120 and 38 cents there. Is no active electric and no active water there. The water has been shut off since March 28th of 2022. So over four years and they owe over $6300 to the Water Authority. We've had issues with this property dating all the way back to 2004, but we've got four cases with the current owner and eight cases since it was sold at sheriff's sale back in 2010. we've had we've sent four notice of violations to the current owner with no response this property has been boarded up since february of 2023 i reviewed case case photos and street view images property's been sitting there for well over three years just boarded and sitting. And this, again, if you would like to know who mowed the front grass, I believe it was the neighbor on the one side because you can see how they just kind of gave up as they got halfway back. So they just mowed it so it doesn't look like a jungle next to their house.

All right. Do we have any questions from the board? Okay. All those in favor, aye. Aye. Opposed? Okay, that passes.

Okay, the last property I have for declaration of blight here is a vacant lot that is next door to a property that we previously blighted this year. The address of this lot is 548 East 14th Street. It's right next door to 546 East 14th Street. You may remember those photos from earlier this year. That house has at some point fenced in the vacant lot. The owner of the vacant lot is deceased and we were unaware at the time that we blighted the house that it wasn't part of that lot because it's fenced in. The whole, it looks like it's one big property. And I had instructed the inspector for the area to post notices to the fence on the vacant lot. And we had not the owner reach out, but the owner's wife. She's not listed on the deed. She's not affiliated with the property. she contacted me and said i apologize i had no idea what was going on down there this property is filled with stuff there's multiple people living inside the fenced-in area if you may recall from when i presented the property at 546 east 14th earlier this year there was a fire in a shed where somebody was living in the shed in february the fire department had to go out there and put that fire out, and I've been there multiple times. I've talked to a couple of the people that are occupying the yard. They insist that they're cleaning it up, that they don't live there, that they're helping the owner. I had to explain to the owner of this property, not the owner, the owner's wife of this property, that because of the situation down there, we need to blight the property because it's directly related to the house that was blighted. And it's all fenced in. And she said, well, there's nothing that I can do. She's an older lady. She's like, I can't go down there and remove those people. And quite honestly, she's not on the deed. It's her husband's property. He's deceased. And she doesn't really have anything that she can do. She had asked if she would become responsible for anything down there. And I said, with Her name not being attached to the deed, I don't think there's anything that we would find her responsible for. She's willing to cooperate as much as she can with whatever, you know, if she is able to give us permission to go onto the property if we need to. But with the situation that's going on at that property and the property next door is the reason we're asking for a declaration of blight.

Yeah, I was at that property with Jake. I've gotten many calls on the property, and the mayor's office has gotten many calls on this property, too. So that being said, do we have any questions from the board? No questions? Motion to apply. OK. Second? OK. Yeah. You got it. Yeah. Dave, second. All right. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? OK. Passes. Do we have any statements?

We have no statements of intent to renovate today.

OK. Since there's no statements, we move on to any correspondence. No correspondence?

No correspondence.

Okay. Is there a motion to adjourn?

So moved. Second.

All right. Adjourned. Thank you, everybody.

Thank you.