Last week we talked about investing in Conneautville from an interior point of view and this week we are going outside to see some exteriors!

The family of Ann and James Flavin, along with their recently formed nonprofit company, Conneaut Valley Properties LLC, have taken on their second renovation project within the Borough.

James has located his business, Project Hosts, in the former Graham facility at 400 Main Street but their current project is 1204 Main Street next to Faust Chiropractic. You can follow the progress of Conneaut Valley Properties LLC at the following web site: http://conneautvalleypropertiesllc.wikispaces.com/. There you will find this post from September 6:

“Much work has been accomplished over the summer. The overgrown vegetation on the properly has been cleared and hauled away (10 full loads of yard cuttings). Thanks to the Conneautville Borough for providing a location to haul away the burnable's. The inside of the building has been cleared of the garbage left behind by the previous occupants. This completely filled a 30 yard dumpster! The building has been inspected by Ehrlich pest control and there were no issues found with insects in the structure. We have repaired the electrical feed to the building and have the power and natural gas utilities connected. The furnace has been repaired and is in good working condition. Several exterior repairs have been made to fix issues with the building, including porch repair, tree damage repair and trim repair. We are on a painter's list to get the exterior of the building painted and expect this to be completed before winter. We also plan to repair the broken window panes before winter. We have a plan in the works to install all new windows, new roof, complete new electrical and water systems and additional insulation in the building. This plan is currently on hold pending approval from the building inspector. We have sent a request to the Conneautville Borough to set aside the previous decision to condemn the building. The current status would require the building to be re-built according to the current building codes. This is an impractical task and would result in the building being demolished and another empty lot in Conneautville. We have requested this assistance from the Borough so that together we can make Conneautville a better place to live. (If you have driven by the property this week, you will note the exterior painting has been completed. Please see the photo of the Flavins outside the newly painted property.)

The second cleanup project is the site of the former Keystone or Skat station at 609 Main Street. This property remains under the ownership of the Crawford County Trust, but you may find information on this project at the Conneaut Valley Properties web site as well.

Freda Tarbell, DEP Community Relations Representative, indicated the project is very near completion. Two items yet to be resolved are analysis of the water testing and reviewing the remediation contractor’s report. Due to the fact that this is a federally funded “stimulus project” the deadline for completion is September 30. Remediation contractor, URS of Pittsburgh, is committed to the September 30 completion date and is working on removal of the one remaining building and its contents still situated on the property.

The Conneautville Planning Commission continues to review properties within the Borough in need of demolition or repair. The ongoing conflict with negligent and/or absent property owners continues to infect small communities throughout the Commonwealth with blight. Crackdown necessitates small municipalities use their scant resources for legal fees and court costs. Municipalities have one small request . . . clean up after yourself or your tenants and make repairs for the welfare and safety of the community. Why does it require litigation for follow through with this request? If you need assistance, ask for help. Contact your Planning Commission and we will talk about solutions before a courtroom is involved.