SHENANDOAH — With help from the Schuylkill County Land Bank, the borough received a state grant to help it acquire a property to build a new affordable housing unit.
“We received $41,875 for the possibility of building low-income housing for the elderly,” Leo Pietkiewicz, council president, said at the borough council meeting Monday night.
The borough’s tentative plan is to acquire a property on West Coal Street and partner with Schuylkill Community Action to develop a taxable housing project there.
“It will be on the corner of West Coal and Jardin, where Miernicki’s property used to be,” Robert D. Mychak, council vice president, said.
He was referring to 40 W. Coal St., which the borough acquired in August 2015, according to the online Schuylkill Parcel Locator.
“At that corner, it’s basically vacant land. But there are a couple adjoining properties that are tax delinquent at this point and could be acquired to make the site larger for an affordable housing initiative,” Chris Gulotta, the land bank administrator, said when called for comment Monday night.
Gulotta is a blight consultant with Gulotta Group, Carlisle.
To acquire the funds, the borough council Monday had to vote to enter into a sub-recipient agreement with the land bank.
Recently, the state Department of Community and Economic Development awarded the land bank a $200,000 blight remediation grant. Three municipalities, including Shenandoah, have expressed interest in the funding and participating in a matching grant program to receive it.
A letter Gulotta sent to the borough on June 20 lists the communities involved, the match they committed and the pro-rated amount of state funds available to them.
Mahanoy City committed $106,168 and will receive $88,775. Minersville committed $43,832 and will receive $36,850, and Shenandoah committed $50,000 and will receive $41,875.
“A total of $167,500 will be distributed as part of the grant, and the remaining $32,500 will be used for the rehabilitation of property by the land bank as well as general administration and audit costs,” Gulotta said Monday.
The municipalities will have until March 31, 2019, to spend the funds, Gulotta said in the June 20 letter.
Shenandoah councilwoman Roseanne Mychak made the motion to enter into the sub-recipient agreement. It was seconded by councilman John Thomas. It was unanimously approved in a voice vote by other council members present, Mychak and Pietkiewicz.
Councilman Paul Holland was absent from Monday’s meeting.
In a related matter, the council appointed Mayor Andrew J. Szczyglak to serve on the land bank’s board of directors. Szczyglak was absent from Monday’s meeting.
The council also approved a cooperation agreement with Schuylkill County regarding its demolition program.
Pursuant to Title 1 of the Federal Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, the county receives grant funds from the state for demolition of blighted property, according to the agreement.
The blighted structures the borough wants to demolish as part of the agreement include: 300 W. Penn St.; 39 W. Coal St.; 23 N. West St.; 520 W. Mount Vernon St.; 401-403 W. Oak St.; 233-235 W. Oak St.; 9-11 N. Main St.; 129 E. Lloyd St., and the blighted properties on the western side of the 200 block of North Race Street near the West Coal Street intersection.
The county will undertake those demolition projects, according to the agreement.
Last month, the mayor had questions about the borough’s policy for designating parking spaces for the handicapped. He said people with spaces are complaining about other people parking in their spots. Szczyglak said he wanted the borough solicitor to look into numbering the signs to further designate the spaces for the residents.
Attorney Joseph R. Baranko Jr. said he would look into it. He’s a member of the Slusser Law Firm, Hazleton, which serves as the borough solicitor.
On Monday, attorney Christopher B. Slusser of the Slusser Law Firm was present at the meeting and offered an update.
“The issue in the current state of the law is that anyone with a handicap placard has the ability to use that spot unless it’s specifically designated for that individual. In other communities that we represent what they’re doing is placing a permit number — reserved for permit number holder blank — and correlating it to the person who’s paid for that particular location,” Slusser said. “So, if we wanted to implement that system, I think that would be the only way that we could make sure that spot is being utilized for the person who has paid for that spot.”
“And that would have to be adopted by resolution?” Pietkiewicz asked.
“Yes,” Slusser said.
“At this time, I’d like to request that a resolution be drawn up,” Pietkiewicz said.
“I’ll be happy to do it,” Slusser said.
Contact the writer: spytak@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6011