West Deer wants to tear down dangerous, blighted duplex

The West Deer supervisors want to tear down a condemned duplex that has been deemed a public nuisance.

The duplex is at 3-5 Oak St. in the township’s Russellton neighborhood.

Supervisors approved seeking bids to demolish the structure.

Bill Payne, West Deer’s zoning and code enforcement officer, inspected the building and found it to be in a dangerous condition.

“This was a house that was a code enforcement issue in the past,” Payne said. “I was never (allowed) access to the inside of the house until there was a call that needed me to be inside for safety — there was a gas leak.

“Upon entering the home, there was a (lot) of issues that deemed it able to be condemned,” Payne said.

Payne found the duplex to be filled with garbage and other debris. He said one side had exposed plumbing and was missing a bathroom; meaning it did not contain a toilet or a bathtub.

The duplex also had multiple gas leaks and appliances weren’t being properly vented, Payne said.

Gas has since been shut off to the home, and the home is secure.

Payne said the owner and some of her relatives had been living in the home before it was deemed to be uninhabitable.

Payne said there is no danger of the duplex collapsing, and residents living near the property have been made aware of the proceedings.

“Everything has been addressed,” Payne said.

West Deer will pay for the demolition with money from the township’s demolition budget.

Sealed bids will be accepted until the second week of December and opened Dec. 14.

The township would like work on the project to begin no earlier than Jan. 1 and start no later than Feb. 28.

The township wants the project to be completed within 30 days of the start date.