Squatters were cooking canned ravioli over indoor fire at dilapidated Jeannette row house, chief says

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Some of the 10 Jeannette properties deemed public nuisances Wednesday have been broken into repeatedly by squatters, but one in particular stood out.

The row house at 422 S. Fifth St. has been a “prime spot” for illegal activity, fire Chief Bill Frye said. The property is boarded up and secured but has been used by squatters and for drug use.

“They actually were cooking with fire in the building,” Frye said. “They had a fire inside the floor and were cooking Chef Boyardee raviolis.”

The blighted property is one of 10 city officials are hoping will be torn down with $10.4 million in American Rescue Plan funding through Westmoreland County that has been set aside for such work in Jeannette and six other communities. Dozens have been identified by city officials in the past several months and sent to the county for consideration.

All of the properties involved in Wednesday’s demolition hearing are vacant and have had years of code enforcement and property maintenance issues, Frye said. Notices about the proposed demolition and hearing were sent to property owners and posted at each parcel. Two — at 812 Western Ave. and 227 Chestnut St. — got reprieves and were instructed by Frye to meet with code enforcement officials to figure out a plan for renovations.

Both owners were asked to determine if they could bring their properties up to code within a year.

“We don’t want to miss out on this (money) and have it fall back on you later,” Frye said.

Properties deemed public nuisances are:

• 302-304 Chestnut St., which Frye said is “at risk of collapsing or something falling off of it.”

• 616 Highland Ave., which is obscured by overgrown trees and brush.

“I had a hard time even getting to it to post the notice,” Frye said. “I posted it on a tree in front of it.”

A property owner present at the hearing agreed it needs to be demolished.

“We’re not taking the property from you. We’re just taking the nuisance down,” he said.

• 620 Highland Ave., which has a crack in the foundation that started within the past year. A property owner present at the hearing didn’t contest the demolition.

“It’s a blessing for a lot of people to take this pressure off,” Mayor Curtis Antoniak said. “It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing the county is doing for these people.”

• 414 Allison St., where a gutter is hanging on a live electrical line, Frye said.

• 412 Allison St., which has a hole in the roof.

“This one is definitely beyond any reasonable economic repair,” he said.

• 810 Western Ave., which is owned by someone in California.

“He purchased it sight unseen online,” Frye said. “The back wall of the property is actually washed out, and the foundation is partially missing and crumbling. It was actually a really nice house 10 years ago.”

David Parsons, who owns 812 Western Ave., said he would be interested in purchasing the land after the demolition.

“It would make for a more viable block and a more family situation,” he said.

Parsons said he has spent $19,000 on improving his property since 2017 and plans to continue.

• 210 S. Second St. has broken windows and garbage strewn throughout the backyard. It neighbors city property, and Frye said officials could consider acquiring it.

• 212 S. Third St., which has been taking in water.

“We’ve had reports of kids playing in it” and have had to secure the doors twice this year, Frye said. “The whole kitchen’s full of garbage.”

• Row houses at 429 and 422 S. Fifth St. The 429 unit has become “a dumping grounds for people who don’t want to pay for garbage” service, Frye said.

Getting some of the blighted row houses down “could be the start of something good,” Antoniak said.

“I really like the idea of … putting a priority on really hitting that hard down there,” he said.

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at [email protected] or via Twitter .

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