Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Code Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Neighbors raise health and safety concerns about property at 19 Hedgerow Lane
Summary
Neighbors told the Charlestown Township Board of Supervisors that standing water on a pool cover, plastic buckets, missing propane tank gauge needle, rodents and tall weeds at 19 Hedgerow Lane are worsening public‑health and nuisance concerns. Township staff said remedies are limited short of court action and will research propane regulations and mosquito control.
Neighbors of 19 Hedgerow Lane pressed the Charlestown Township Board of Supervisors on May 4 over lingering maintenance and public‑health concerns, and the board discussed limited legal remedies available to compel further action.
Hallie Steinberg told the board she had set a perimeter of traps around her house and asked the township to do more about the property next door. "The plastic buckets need to be removed entirely, not just turned over," she said; she also said she called PECO after smelling gas and that inspectors found the propane tank’s gauge has no needle.
Neighbor Chad Pillai said the pool cover continues to collect water after rainfall and reported deer are entering through an unsecured gate. County Health Department staff told the board they saw no evidence of rodent tracks or food sources that would attract rodents, Dan Wright, P.E., the township consultant, reported.
Solicitor Mark P. Thompson explained that while the township has a nuisance ordinance covering trash and weeds, the legal threshold to declare a property "blighted" is high and was not met in this case; if blight were found, the court could appoint a conservator, but that standard generally requires conditions such as a collapsed roof or an unsecured structure. Thompson said the township may continue to issue citations but cannot force a sale or conservatorship without meeting statutory requirements.
Manager Chris Heleniak said the township will follow up on three staff action items: checking applicable propane regulations, researching mosquito‑control options for standing water, and pursuing enforcement for weeds that exceed ordinance height limits. Dan Wright said the property’s open gate has been chained and staff will monitor the pool cover; neighbors were advised to send photos of noncompliance to help enforcement.
The board discussed potential next steps including private legal counsel for neighbors; resident Natanya Sortland suggested neighbors seek attorney advice if they want additional remedies. The board did not take a vote on further enforcement measures at the meeting.
