Published: August 28, 2008 10:02 am      

Blighted Properties

Frostburg’s war against blighted properties never-ending

FROSTBURG — The municipal battle with blighted properties in Frostburg is a never-ending one, laced with a few success stories, but interwoven more often with the two-steps-forward, one-step-back kind of progress that constantly changes the distance to the finish line.

For every 35 Aspinall St., which has been torn down, or for every 133 Hill St., which is being renovated, there is a 20 Beall St. or a 35 Mill St. where rodents roam, grass grows and abandoned appliances appear in the yard like metal mushrooms after a rainstorm.

“Twenty Beall St. has been a long-term problem,” Rich Harris, Frostburg director of community development, said, understating the dilemma that has faced more than one city administration and more than one director of development since 2000.

All that is keeping the fate of that property out of the hands of either Circuit Court Judge Gary Leasure or his jurist sidekick Tim Finan is the serving of papers on one elusive person.

“Our attorney is dealing with that right now,” Harris said, referring to municipal counselor Michael Scott Cohen. Toss in an Internal Revenue Service lien on that Trovinger Estate property, according to Harris, and the legal stickiness of the matter increases.

“We hope to let the court deal with this one sometime this fall,” Harris said.

Dealing with blighted properties begins with what is often a difficult first step, according to Lisa Beeman, a community development specialist, that is identifying who owns the structure and then finding that person. Not surprisingly, many of them never write, they never call.

“About half of the homes are owner-occupied,” Beeman said, leaving unsaid the fact that the owners of the other 50 percent may be just about anybody who is just about anywhere.

At 35 Mill St., for example, Beeman believes the owner to be Charles Condry and has written to him, asking for cooperation in improving or removing the home. As of Wednesday, Beeman had not received a reply.

One of the best things that can happen, both for the city and for the owner of a blighted property, is that it is sold.

“The closer a blighted property is to the (Frostburg State) university, the more likely it will be sold and fixed up,” Harris said.

Rental companies have purchased and renovated the properties at 133 Hill St. (Prospectors Holding, LLC) and 81-83 Bowery St. (APRE B81, LLC).

Because of this, the need for college student rentals has improved some neighborhoods, Harris said.

A few addresses, because repairs are under way or have been agreed to, have recently been removed from the city’s active list of blighted residences. These, however, remain on the list:

• 20 Beall St.

• 73 Bowery St.

• 58 W. Mechanic St.

• 68 Mechanic St.

• 52-54 Mechanic St.

• 35 Mill St.

• 107 Wood

• 115 W. Main St.

• 135 Hill St.

• 68 Water St.

• 164 Bowery St.

• 269 E. Main St.

Harris and Beeman said blighted properties can show up in any portion of Frostburg, but are usually associated with older neighborhoods.

“Properties that are vacant for extended periods almost always develop some problems,” Harris said.

Contact Michael A. Sawyers at msawyers@times-news.com.