EMPORIUM — Emporium Borough Council members are working to resolve a number of ordinance violations on blighted properties.
An action plan received from Matthew Grimone concerning four downtown properties that were previously addressed through the magistrate indicates that two of the residential structures possibly slated for demolition, according to Borough Manager Don Reed.
The borough has yet to respond to the action plan, which lists the steps required to renovate the properties on South Broad and East Fifth Street Extension.
The two buildings are located on Fourth Street, one at the western edge of the business district and another at the far eastern edge. Both were formerly apartment buildings with several rental units.
Reed stated that borough officials continue to work with property owners to address blighted conditions at residences and rental properties throughout the borough, and plans are being made to bring in the local building inspector to condemn buildings that have serious issues.
Two more properties are currently in the “first and final notice” stage, though one situation is likely to be resolved out-of-court with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to be used for demolition. The second property is located on Wood Street. A former home on East Fifth Street is being resolved voluntarily by the property owner.
Emporium Borough Police Chief Dave Merritt stated that the department removed one parking space from the corner of Woodland and West Allegany avenues to make it easier for large trucks to turn the corner. The location was the site of a number of automobile versus tractor-trailer incidents over the past several months. Merritt stated there have not been any additional accidents since the change was made.
Progress on construction of a pavilion over the Cameron County Recycling Center is progressing again. New plans and building materials have been received and work is expected to commence soon. Recycling can be dropped off behind the borough maintenance shed on East Second Street until work is completed. The grant deadline is now in June following a several-month extension.
Borough council continues to work with the Cameron County ATV/UTV Association in order to cooperate with efforts to open a trail connecting Sinnemahoning and Driftwood with Emporium. A meeting was held earlier this month and nearly every municipality in the county was represented. Council President Luann Reed stated that the association has not yet indicated any sections of roadway that they will request to be opened, but said that the meeting was informative and council appreciated being kept abreast of new developments.
The borough approved a request from the Cameron County Memorial Detail requesting closure of some roads for the Memorial Day Parade to be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 29. The parade will step-off from the Emporium VFW on East Third Street, travel down Third to Spruce Street, then up to Fourth Street and through town to the Big Flag Memorial Park on the west end.
Army Corps of Engineers representatives from Baltimore, Jacksonville, Florida, and Vicksburg, Mississippi, will be in Emporium on May 16 to begin inspecting the levee system. Notices will be sent to property owners of potential activity along the levee during that time.
The next meeting of the Emporium Borough Council will be held at 7 p.m. on June 5 at the borough building on North Broad Street.
