Moldy home fix plan irks residents

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Moldy home fix plan irks residents

By Joe Pinchot

Herald Staff Writer

While one resident of Woodland Avenue was hostile at plans to alleviate a

drainage problem on his property, two others were merely skeptical.

The head of Mercer County Housing Authority said the proposal is not " a plan

of action. "

Executive Director L. DeWitt Boosel said he needs more information from the

engineering company and the results of mold testing before anything can be

decided.

Three residents attended a meeting Saturday in which Hickory Engineering

Inc., Hermitage, laid out the plan to install catch basins and drain pipe in

the rear yards, and regrade the front yards in the Wheatland neighborhood.

Gargiulo, housing planner for Community Homebuyers Inc., a nonprofit

affiliate of Mercer County Housing Authority, said he will meet with the

other two residents today.

CHI developed the homes, which were built in 2000.

All the homes are infested with mold, and some residents fear it might be so

intrusive that the houses would have to be gutted or destroyed. They blame

poor drainage for the mold.

Gazda of Home Inspections and Environmental Services, Baden, took

samples at all five houses Monday, and will submit them to a laboratory for

testing.

Gazda tested the Fraley house at 25 Woodland in February and found types of

mold that are more serious than the kinds people would generally be allergic

to.

CHI is paying for the tests, and would pay for construction to address the

drainage problem.

D.J. Stinedurf of 65 Woodland called the drainage proposal " a bunch of

bulls---. " Stinedurf is the son of Wheatland borough Councilman Don

Stinedurf and borough secretary Sharon Stinedurf.

Under the plan, a catch basin and the drainage pipe would be installed down

the middle of his back yard.

Stinedurf, who has been in his house for 13 months, said he wants to build a

deck and pool in his back yard.

" That's just not going to leave no room, " he said of the engineer's plan.

Stinedurf said he would want the work done at the rear of his property,

which is much lower than the level on which his house was built.

Stinedurf added his children's playhouse would have to be taken out. " You've

got plenty of room to go around that thing, " he said.

The residents also would have to sign right-of-way agreements allowing

workers to clean out the catch basins.

" I don't see why they need (an) 18 feet (right-of-way) for a 12-inch line, "

Stinedurf said.

Mark of 45 Woodland said the proposed solution to the drainage

problem is " fine, " but he's not satisfied with the amount of research that

has been done.

He said the answer to the question of whether the existing storm sewer

system was tapped into has changed over time.

said he was told Saturday that it was tapped into, but was given a

map that doesn't show it. said he wants the company to look in a

manhole to make sure.

" They're going to go by the blueprints and that's not good enough for me, "

he said.

Ron Fraley said the proposal " sounded like a good plan.

" It's better than what we had before. Might be too late, " he said, referring

to the mold.

Aside from Gazda, the authority brought in Microbac Laboratories of Erie in

an " advisory capacity, " Boosel said.

The authority has hired Microbac in the past for testing, particularly for

asbestos, but the firm is not conducting any tests on the Woodland homes,

Boosel said.

" We want to make sure that things are being handled to the owners'

satisfaction, " Boosel said of Mircobac's presence.

But Fraley said he believed Microbac was brought in " to butt heads " with

Gazda.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Joe Pinchot at jpinchot@...