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Residents press Franklin Park council over long-running Yocus property; officials cite appeals and code updates
Summary
Neighbors urged the borough to act on the Yocus property, which they say has shown little remediation in 19 years; council members outlined the property's legal history, said prior appeals were remanded to the building board of appeals, and said staff are exploring enforcement options and adopting updated property-maintenance and fire codes.
Several neighbors told Franklin Park Borough Council on Feb. 18 they are frustrated by a decades-long unresolved property that they say remains uninhabitable and hazardous, and asked what enforcement steps the borough will take once a settlement period ends.
At public comment, Pat Folts, who lives at 2400 Rustic Ridge Drive, said the property owned by 'Yocus' has shown no meaningful progress over 19 years, described mold, absence of windows and heat, and asked why council would consider granting further extensions when past compliance efforts have failed: "After all these years, ... what makes the council think that giving him another extension would result in any kind of a different outcome." He asked whether inspections had been conducted and what the borough would do to prevent similar situations.
Jeff Murken (2403 Rustic Ridge Drive) asked whether the 'potential litigation' referenced by council was a continuing case from recent years or a new filing by the property owner.
In response, an official identified in the record as Unidentified Speaker 11 summarized the property's long history, said there had been prior appeals remanded back to the building board of appeals, and that a conditional-use application to convert the site to a medical office had been withdrawn; the owner subsequently reapplied for single-family use. Speaker 11 said the council had set timelines and requirements that the owner did not meet, resulting in the current status. The speaker added that staff are exploring options and that the borough is adopting an updated version of the International Property Maintenance Code and a fire code consistent with recent state Uniform Construction Code changes to strengthen demolition and nuisance-abatement authority.
No final enforcement action was announced in open session. The council recessed to an executive session to continue discussion of potential litigation regarding the Yocus property and a zoning appeal; the meeting record indicates no votes were planned to follow the executive session.
Why it matters: Neighbors described immediate health and livability concerns (mold, lack of heat, and open building elements) for a structure sited between occupied homes. Council’s reference to remanded appeals and the adoption of updated codes suggests officials are pursuing legal and regulatory avenues, but residents requested clearer timelines and visible action.
What’s next: Council moved into an executive session to continue discussing potential litigation about the property. The transcript does not record a formal enforcement order or demolition decision in open session.
Direct quotes used in this article are taken from the meeting transcript and attributed to the speakers who made them.
