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Erie Redevelopment Authority rescinds blight on four properties, declares multiple others blighted
Summary
At a regular meeting the Erie Redevelopment Authority approved rescissions of blight designations for four rehabilitated or demolished properties and voted to declare blight on several neglected addresses after staff described long-running code and tax issues.
The Erie Redevelopment Authority voted unanimously to rescind blight designations on four properties and to declare a separate group of properties blighted after staff described safety, tax and utility problems at each address.
Authority staff announced that two rehabilitated homes — 312 East 20 Seventh Street and 2321 Cameron — passed required inspections and were recommended for blight rescission. Staff also reported two demolished lots, 912 East Ave and 2708 Downing, had passed demolition inspection and were included in the rescission motion. Aaron, president of the Erie Redevelopment Authority, moved to rescind the blight designations and the motion passed by voice vote.
The rescinds matter because removing a property from the authority's blight list restores normal property status and permits owners to complete legal transfers and rehabilitation without redevelopment controls, staff said.
During the second portion of the meeting, staff presented detailed case histories for eight properties recommended for new blight declarations. Staff described repeated code cases, unpaid taxes and inactive utilities in some cases; the Erie Police Department had requested code enforcement visit one property after an overdose. Addresses the authority declared blighted included 334 West Twentieth Street; 2119 Downing; 248 East 20 Fourth Street; 1228 East 20 Second Street; 917 Wallace; 328 East 20 Seventh Street; and others discussed at the meeting. Motions to declare each property blighted were moved and seconded and approved by voice vote.
Staff provided specific details for several of the properties the authority declared blighted. For 334 West Twentieth Street, staff said the owner of record purchased the property in 2016, the property has nearly $7,000 in unpaid taxes for 2023–25, active water but no power or gas, and about 17 recorded code cases dating back to 2001. For 2119 Downing, staff reported the recorded owners are deceased, there has been no water service for almost two years, the garage roof collapsed over winter and five notices had produced no response in five years. For 248 East 20 Fourth Street staff said the water service was shut off Sept. 18, 2023, Erie Water Works is inactive there, the owners are delinquent on multiple years of taxes and the lot is heavily overgrown. For 1228 East 20 Second Street staff described a collapsed garage/porch, overgrowth, water shutoff in January, roughly $1,500 owed on water and overdue taxes. For 917 Wallace, staff detailed a history of transfers, prior vacancy, unsecured break-ins and limited permit activity. For 328 East 20 Seventh Street, staff said the property had been in the same family since 1978, has a collapsing porch, unpaid 2024 taxes of about $3,300, no active water service since 2016, multiple notices and citations filed in district court earlier in the year with no response; staff said the property may require emergency demolition consideration.
Where specific dollar amounts were provided, the article reports them as stated by staff. Where the transcript or staff did not provide a piece of information (for example, the full identity of every person who seconded a motion or a per-member roll-call vote), the authority's actions are recorded as approved by voice vote in the meeting record.
The authority closed the meeting after a short secretary's report and a brief note marking the authority's 70th anniversary under the Urban Redevelopment Law. Board members and staff distributed cookies to commemorate the milestone.
