By MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER

marcie@bradfordera.com

Five properties were declared public nuisances by Bradford’s Board of Health on Tuesday, including an owner-occupied home where the board was concerned about people living in the poor conditions present.

The properties addressed were 87 S. Hillside Ave., owned by Walter and Doris Campbell, both of whom are deceased; 69 ½ Hillside Ave., owned by Chester Stahl, who is deceased; 30 Summer St., owned by Donald Honhart Sr., who is deceased; 184 Summer St., owned by Lori Everson, who resides there; and 81 Williams St., owned by Aaron Griffin of Yorkshire, N.Y.

The one raising the most concern was the 184 Summer St. residence, which a property maintenance officer said is occupied by the owner and an adult male, along with two dogs. The property was condemned in March, and has had no water service since Feb. 27.

Health director Brandon Plowman said, ‘The water service had been terminated (because of) a sewer pipe that had collapsed.’

Sewage was draining across the yard and into the road.

Board members asked if people were still living in the home. Plowman said, ‘They were staying there, yes. I know the dogs were in the structure every time I had visited. And a few different occasions I had been to the property, there was a male individual who came to the door.

‘There was a strong odor of feces emanating from the interior.’

He detailed other conditional issues with the structure, including the roof being in poor condition, an outdoor landing being supported by a wooden 2×4, the front porch roof having collapsed in sections, a garage having collapsed and electric service having detached from the structure.

Plowman said the residence is unfit for human habitation.

Fred Proper, board president, asked Plowman and city solicitor Mark Hollenbeck what the city’s responsibility is for people living in that situation.

‘How old is the occupant,’ Hollenbeck asked, commenting it might be something for which they could contact the Area Agency on Aging.

Plowman said he thinks the man who answered the door might be in his 50s, and added, ‘They are aware of the conditions. They were well aware that this was going to lead to tonight.’

Hollenbeck suggested consulting with John Peterson, health officer, and looking into getting a condemned property vacated.

‘Countless properties have been condemned and we run into the same issue every time, how to get the people out of there,’ said Mike Schreiber from the Department of Property Maintenance.

Plowman said that on May 29, he issued several citations regarding that property, one of which was to the residents for occupying an unlawful, unsanitary structure.

Board member Kris Goll, who has been vocal about taking a harder line against violators, spoke up. ‘We should have gone down this path long ago instead of backing off. If we’re going to do this, let’s do it with the full strength of the ordinance that’s behind us,’ he said.

Proper said, ‘This is not just affecting the neighborhood, it’s directly affecting people and we have rules and regulations that say we do whatever we need to do to make sure they are not living in those conditions.’

The property was declared a public nuisance, with no mention of how the board might proceed regarding the residents.

At 87 S. Hillside Ave., Plowman explained, ‘Almost all the windows are broken out. The siding on the entire structure is in poor condition, missing in spots and has holes in the walls.’

The foundation is collapsing in several areas, the roof is in poor condition, the interior of the structure is in ‘complete disrepair’ and there is garbage inside as well.

The water has been off to the structure since 2012.

The nuisance vote was unanimous.

At 69 ½ Hillside Ave., Plowman said, ‘The structure has been entirely destroyed by fire.’

The blaze, in 2023, caused half the structure to collapse.

‘There is a lot of rubbish and garbage around the structure, including three vehicles, a camper and a boat.’

There was no insurance on the structure at the time of the fire. Proper asked when the residence was last occupied. No one knew, but the inspection stickers on the vehicles were from 1995. The nuisance vote was again unanimous.

Regarding a property at 30 Summer St., Plowman said, ‘The entire roof and all of its components are dilapidated. There are several broken windows. The entire exterior of the structure is basically dilapidated; the rear portion has collapsed.’

It is not secured, and there is a large amount of rubbish and garbage throughout the property, he said.

It, too, was unanimously declared a nuisance.

Regarding 81 Williams St., special counsel Tyler Hannah said Griffin had purchased it in October 2024 with the intention of fixing it up. Plowman said, ‘He has been fined’ for the conditions there, and has ‘every excuse under the sun why he hasn’t made repairs.’

He described siding in poor condition, broken windows, a crumbling foundation and holes in the outside wall.

‘The roof was replaced a year or two ago with metal,’ he said. ‘When this roof was installed the overhang was cut off, which is allowing the water to run off the roof straight down behind the siding.’

That is causing more problems, including water exposure to the electric service.

‘The sidewalk is always wet in front of the structure,’ Plowman continued. ‘The water services are terminated. I’m not sure where the water is coming from, but it’s creating a nuisance.’

The structure was condemned in 2019.

It, too, was declared a nuisance.