SHENANDOAH — More than a dozen residents attended Monday’s meeting of Shenandoah Borough Council to ask for help with a row of vacant dilapidated properties along North Race Street.

The four properties are located from at or near the West Coal and North Race streets. At the corner is the former Dimaggio’s pizza shop, closed for about 10 years, and three adjoining houses on the west side of the 200 block of North Race Street. The Schuylkill County Parcel Locator lists the owners as Mario and Maria Cruz, but the locator does not list the exact address numbers for each property.

Speaking for the group was James Paulaconis, who lives across the street from the former pizzeria on Coal Street.

“I’m a lifelong resident of Shenandoah and all of these people are our neighbors down at Glover’s Hill. We’re here about the property which is really in deplorable condition,” said Paulaconis. “It’s the old Dimaggio’s, where the roof caved in about three weeks ago.”

Paulaconis provided Borough Manager Joseph L. Palubinsky and borough council with photos of the properties.

“The next sevcral pages contain pictures of the property located by West Coal and North Race streets,” said Paulaconis as he distributed the photos and information. “The properties are deplorable and are in violation of all eight of the property maintenance ordinances listed on the next page.”

Paulaconis pointed out that the photographs don’t tell the whole story of the problems.

“However, the pictures cannot convey the stench originating from the above-mentioned properties,” said Paulaconis. “The foul odor is from raw sewage, mold and mildew, and animal waste and decay, causing a health threat to all those living in the immediate area, especially to those living next door. What has been an eyesore has become a serious problem. Something must be done.”

Paulaconis listed the “highlights” of the structural problems, such the roof falling in on two of the three houses, the front of the houses are not secure, overhangs are ready to fall, shingles and tar paper blow off the pizza shop building and hit other properties, including his own; the properties are filled with broken wood, tires and other debris, and the sewage pipe is broken.

Paulaconis said the borough has not addressed the situation that has become a safety and health hazard.

“We don’t know where we’re at with this,” said Paulaconis to borough council. “We don’t know what our options are. What do have to do next? Do we have to go to DEP? A board of health?

The county? We’re depending on you as leaders of the town to give us some direction and some help. We have all these taxpayers who have lived there all their lives and not chase them out of what is still a nice neighborhood. Something has to be done because that front is ready to fall. If it falls inward, you may never get to the basement to fix the sewer problem, and if it falls into the street and who knows what damage that would do.”

“There are a lot of kids playing there, too,” said local resident Chester Katulis.

When Paulaconis finished his presentation, his neighbors applauded.

“We will be in touch with the owners tomorrow and we’ll give them 10 days,” said council

President Donald E. Segal.

Katulis added that wood is being brought to the old pizzeria and stored inside.

“That is unacceptable. You don’t bring wood in there that is already a hazard,” said Katulis.

Segal called for a short executive session, which lasted about five minutes, about the property issues.

“We’ll take care of those problems as soon as possible,” said Segal. “I’d also like to have a law-enforcement officer when we visit the area.”

jusalis@republicanherald.com