Jul 20, 2017 3 min read

The building collapse that occurred a week ago was on the minds of city of Washington officials Wednesday as they met with state legislators who were in town to highlight antiblight initiatives.

“The city’s hands are tied with a lot of things,” said Washington Fire Chief Linn Brookman. “Citations are issued … a landlord gets off … and the problem is just not being solved.”

State Sen. David G. Argall, R-Schuylkill, is touring communities to gather information on blight and abandonment across the state. He and state Senator Camera Bartolotta, R-Carroll Township, toured the demolition site of 15 N. Main St., where crews are working to stabilize the collapsed apartment building.

“(The collapse) brought a lot of state resources and local resources to try to save the victims,” said Councilman Joe Manning. “It sort of put a fine point on the blight that we’ve been trying to address in the city. We’ve been very aggressive the past few years.”

Manning targeted the sprawling structure at the corner of Main and Chestnut, which officials have labeled a nuisance for years. The abandoned building was owned by Main Street Trust, with the main trustee being Kim J. Gobert of Moscow, Russia. It’s now on the list for demolition.

Nearby property owners have said the crumbling building attracts squatters.

“It’s an accident waiting to happen,” Brookman said. “There’s nobody (living) in these buildings, but we just can’t keep everybody out of the building. And if something does happen, we’re not going to know they’re in there unless somebody else made it out.”

Argall and Bartolotta referenced several laws passed within the last year, allowing municipalities to more aggressively tackle blight, including the implementation of land banks, increased fines for code violations and decreased time to remedy violations.

“We don’t pretend to solve the issue, but we have given local communities a lot more teeth,” said Argall.

Bartolotta suggested Washington County look into implementing Act 152, which would give the county the authority to apply a fee through the Recorder of Deeds office of up to $15 for each deed and mortgage to be used for demolition.

Argall said the fee could generate about $200,000 for the county.

“It’s not the solution to all of your problems, but in case of emergency, it’s better than nothing,” he said.

According to his office, Cambria, Cameron, Dauphin, Delaware and Lawrence counties collect $15 through the act, and Blair County collects $7.50.

Recorder of Deeds Debbie Bardella said she discussed the matter with two of the three commissioners last year after the act was signed into law.

“My recommendation to the commissioners was that we not adopt it,” she said Wednesday. “Every time they (state officials) are looking for extra revenue, they look to this office. People who own property are the only ones paying. Thirty-five dollars on documents recorded goes to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts for computerization of the courts, but I am not a court-related office.”

While city officials haven’t yet secured funding sources for demolition, Manning said they are dedicated to tackling blight.

“After the building collapse, we had to become more aggressive,” Manning said. “We’re taking proactive steps. As time goes forward, I’m sure we’re going to be looking at more legal remedies to take care of a lot of these blighted and dilapidated properties.”

Staff writer Barbara S. Miller contributed to this report.