Residents demand answers after Pottstown church fire; public calls for tighter vacant‑building rules and review of sober‑home placements

Several residents used the Dec. 3 public‑comment period to recount the Nov. 21 fire at the historic Invictus (Transfiguration) church and to press borough officials for action on vacant properties and sober‑home placements.

Sheila Dugan, who told council her family lost their home in the fire, thanked firefighters for their response and described the emotional and material losses her household suffered. Dugan accused borough leadership and staff of failing to address the proliferation of sober houses in the community, saying some local sober‑home operations run brief six‑week cycles in which residents stay only while they can pay weekly fees and then are discharged into homelessness. She said the pattern has harmed nearby businesses and neighborhood safety and urged the borough to require longer stays, stronger supports and enforcement of applicable rules.

Philip Tease, a lifetime resident, praised the firefighting response but asked how the borough could better secure vacant commercial properties, whether the damaged building was insured, who will pay for cleanup, and whether the structure was on any vacant‑building list. Tease urged council to consider ordinances requiring security and maintenance for long‑term vacant buildings.

Councilman Bailey responded that one member cannot solve the sober‑home issue alone and asked for factual follow‑up, including whether the building had insurance, who will pay for cleanup and how the borough secured the site after reports of unauthorized entry. Multiple councilors thanked first responders and said vacant buildings are a known problem; several members called for reviewing enforcement and ordinance tools to reduce risks.

Remote commenter Deb Spence asked when the fire investigation will be released and where the public can read it; she also asked procedural questions about committee requirements, volunteer outreach and how borough postings are made for openings.

What happens next: Council members asked staff to report back with details about insurance, site security and whether the damaged building appears on a vacant‑building list; residents requested publication of the fire investigation report when available.

Representative quotes

"Because of our local stations' training and work with junior firefighters...we will one day be whole again," Sheila Dugan said in public comment, adding later, "You failed this community when you ignored our many requests to get a handle on the sober houses that began to encroach into our neighborhoods back in 2020."

Councilman Bailey said, "I single-handedly cannot stop sober homes...There is 7 of 7 of us up here along with solicitors. I cannot solve that problem alone."