West Mahanoy rescinds approval of home to be razed in Girard Estate demo program

SHENANDOAH HEIGHTS – One of the homes previously approved to be razed as part of the Girard Estate’s demolition program will not meet the wrecking ball after all.

West Mahanoy Township Supervisors approved eight demolitions at last month’s regular meeting, mostly in William Penn with two in Brownsville.

The Philadelphia-based Girard Estate trust owns most of the land in the township and has demolished dozens of abandoned structures on their land since around 2010 as part of the program.

The program generally focuses on abandoned, blighted homes on Girard Estate land in which the taxes and leases haven’t been paid.

Supervisors Chairman Paul “Pepper” Martin said that’s where there was a snag in with one of the properties — 1201 West Coal Street in Brownsville — leading supervisors to rescind their approval at Tuesday’s regular meeting.

“There’s nothing wrong with that house,” Martin said. “Nothing.”

Martin said the homeowner had read that the property was on the list and came to the township and raised her concerns.

“There’s more to it than us,” Martin said.

He said the agreement with Girard Estate includes five properties per year, and more can be added by the trust. The home in question was one of those.

Martin said that he hadn’t seen the property ahead of time and, when the woman read about the pending demolition in the Sentinel , she came to the township, prompting him to check out the home.

He told the Girard Estate that there is nothing wrong with the home.

“It is a nice house. They put a lot of money into remodeling all of this,” Martin said.

He said the issue is between the property owner and Girard Estate.

The home is not far from the eastern boundary of the active mining permit held by Girard Estate’s lessee, Keystone Anthracite. The latter purchased and razed much of Lost Creek #2 to expand mining operations in that area. They have also purchased several homes in the Brownsville area.

That mining expansion, which is before the Department of Environmental Protection for approval, was a topic of conversation at June’s monthly meeting.

Martin issued an apology and a retraction Tuesday for a statement he made at that meeting.

He said he had blamed Keystone Anthracite for causing a major water main break in the area and said it was, however, not them.

“It was not Keystone, it was another outlet, because I got a phone call about it,” Martin said, apologizing.

Aqua Pennsylvania at the time said the break was caused by digging in the area of Lost Creek #2.

The break was on property leased for mining by Keystone, adjacent to homes owned by Keystone which were razed at their direction not long prior.

It severed water service for the majority of the Shenandoah water system west of the borough, including all of William Penn, Lost Creek, and Rappahannock and caused flooding on Raven Run Road.

Keystone is currently seeking permission to mine in close proximity to that line.

In other business, the township formally adopted an ordinance raising the fines for quality of life violations from $25 to $100.

Supervisors also approved a motion to allow St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Altamont to close the alleyway behind the church for their annual bazaar on August 2 and August 3.

Three properties owned by the township are being listed for sale — 1157 West Lloyd Street, 257 and 211 Mount Olive Boulevard, and 4 Newtown Road.

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