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White Oak Council moves to tackle blight with demolition grants, condemnation orders and new committee
Summary
Council approved a $65,000 Community Development Block Grant application, passed slum-and-blight and attorney-cost resolutions, authorized condemnation of a house at 1901 Vermont Ave., and directed the solicitor to schedule a condemnation hearing for 1242 Clark St.; a blight committee resolution was also authorized.
White Oak Borough Council on Oct. 20 approved a package of actions aimed at clearing blighted properties and pursuing demolition funding.
The council voted to authorize filing a $65,000 Community Development Block Grant application through Allegheny County for a White Oak Borough Demolition Project and approved Resolution 2025-15 to designate the Steel Rivers COG executive director as the authorized signatory for grant documents. Solicitor Ashley described work done to prepare demolition cost estimates for six structures and to coordinate with the county COG, which is administering grant-related asbestos abatement and contractor bidding.
The council also approved Resolution 2025-16, a slum-and-blight declaration naming specific properties as public nuisances required by the county CDBG program. Amanda DeFolome, planning and zoning director, moved to condemn a structure at 1901 Vermont Avenue (Block 551-B-295) as dangerous, unsanitary and unfit for habitation; that motion passed. DeFolome additionally secured authorization for the solicitor and code enforcement officer to proceed with condemnation for 1242 Clark Street (Block 552-R-155) and to schedule a condemnation hearing on Nov. 17, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
DeFolome said the borough has completed required notices and submitted a legal clearance letter to move demolition forward and that the county-led grant process may take longer because asbestos abatement and contracting are being handled centrally for multiple municipalities. "Everything has been done on the borough's part at this point to move that process forward," she told the council.
Council also authorized the solicitor to draft a formal resolution to form a blight committee under the planning and zoning committee’s guidance; the motion to authorize preparation of the resolution was approved. In a related action, council authorized Keystone Collections Group to proceed with a direct sheriff sale of 324 Circle Drive (Block 650-M-272).
Why this matters: Council members and residents said they want clearer, faster outcomes for long-vacant and deteriorating properties. Public commenters raised a list of addresses and pressed staff for enforcement steps; council repeatedly pointed to multi-step legal processes and the county-administered grant work as determining timing.
Next steps: A condemnation hearing for 1242 Clark Street is set for Nov. 17, 2025; the solicitor will prepare the blight-committee resolution for future consideration. The grant application will be filed with the county as authorized.
