Aug 13, 2013 3 min read

CARMICHAELS – Carmichaels Councilman Chris Watson will again find himself before the district judge for failing to take action to address the condition of a half-demolished building he owns on East George Street.

At a council meeting Tuesday, which Watson failed to attend, council voted to have police Chief Mike Gyurke again cite Watson for the building, but this time for each week the building remains out of compliance with the borough ordinance. Since April, council has been after Watson to do something with the building, which residents have said is a safety hazard. The issue was again discussed by council last month. Watson said then that he had started to rebuild the building but was ordered to stop by the borough engineer.

Frank Monack of K-2 Engineers was asked to determine whether Watson needed a building permit for the work, according to borough secretary Brandi Streit. Monack inspected the site in May and told Watson if he wanted to continue to build on the existing walls he would have to have an engineer inspect them, determine they are stable and provide him with engineering drawings on his plans.

Watson said he had hired an engineer, whom he declined to name, but didn’t know when the plans would be done because the engineer was on vacation.

At Tuesday’s meeting, resident Paul Lesako asked council to act, citing the dangers the building presented.

“You’ve had a dangerous situation going on for months. You gave (Watson) an opportunity to remedy it and he has done nothing,” Lesako said.

Streit told council she had talked to Monack and Monack told her Watson has not presented him with any plans. He suggested Watson be cited, she said.

Monack had first talked to Watson about the building four months ago, so he has had plenty of time to prepare the plans, Streit said. Councilwoman Josephine Gresko made the motion to cite Watson each week until the situation is remedied. “We have to protect the residents there. It’s dangerous,” she said.

Council also asked Gyurke to cite Watson for failing to have garbage picked up for occupants of an apartment in a building he owns next to the lot containing the half-demolished building. The occupants, William Forsythe and Jenifer Whyel, attended the meeting and said Watson had told them garbage pickup was included in the rent. The two have no written lease.

Council President Charles Walker said that under the borough ordinance, the property owner is cited if garbage is not picked up each week.

Forsythe and Whyel also spoke about the poor conditions of their apartment.

Council discussed what the borough could do to address situations in which people were living in unsafe conditions. Walker noted the borough is revamping its ordinances. Forsythe and Whyel said later that when the condition of the building was first raised with Watson in July, they were told to leave within 24 hours. They contacted an attorney. A hearing was held before district judge Lee Watson Tuesday at which they were formally evicted and ordered to pay damages and additional rent Chris Watson claimed they owed.

Forsythe and Whyel said Community Action Southwest indicated they would help them find a new place to live. The two said they also will appeal Watson’s ruling.