DUBOIS – After conducting a public hearing on the matter, the Sandy Township Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of authorizing their solicitor to prepare written findings of fact for a Treasure Lake property.
This step will allow the supervisors to officially condemn the property, located on Sea Horse Road, at their next meeting, scheduled for Aug. 20.
Sandy Township Zoning Officer Jim Keck presented testimony at the hearing outlining events over the past year that led to Monday night’s actions.
Sandy Township had received numerous complaints from the Treasure Lake Property Control Committee and neighbors of the home claiming that the roof had a bow, the basement was full of water, and doors and windows were open. Last summer, a tree fell on the building.
On Aug. 24, Keck attempted to reach the property owners, Ernest Gray and James M. Lucas by telephone, but he was unsuccessful. Later, on June 5, a certified enforcement notice was sent to both Gray and Lucas. Sandy Township then received notice that the certified letter was returned unclaimed.
The Sandy Township Supervisors then scheduled a hearing for the property regarding the classification as a dangerous or dilapidated building. In the interim, Keck learned that the property taxes had not been paid since 2003, amounting to $6,669.64 in uncollected monies.
Bill Kulbacki, building inspector, also testified about the condition of the house, saying that on Aug. 25, he witnessed that the house had a tree on top of it, and severe water damage had caused the interior floor and the roof of the house to rot.
Mold and animal feces could be seen in the home.
“Just breathing the air was, in my opinion, unsafe and unsanitary,” he said.
The building was again inspected on Saturday, and the findings of Kulbacki and Keck were the same as nearly one year ago: The home is unsafe and had not been repaired.
The supervisors will likely vote on a motion to officially condemn the structure Aug. 20.