Letter: Erie has the power to demolish dangerous blighted homes quickly, so why the delay?

Erie has better weapon to fight blight, why not use it?

The recent house fire at a vacant property in the 400 block of East 10th Street that spread to three occupied houses and resulted in the displacement of dozens of residents isn't the first time a vacant, derelict home in Erie has caught fire and it won't be the last time. The City of Erie Redevelopment Authority keeps a list of almost 300 blighted properties. Most, because they are unsafe, are in line for eventual demolition. Yet, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

More:No one injured as massive fire levels vacant house, damages 3 others on Erie's east side

The city's 2016 comprehensive plan, Erie Refocused, puts the total number of vacant and abandoned housing units in the city at over 6,000. But because of the long and complicated legal process the city uses to acquire and then demolish these properties (several have been on the list for 10 years or more), since 2020 it has been reported by Erie News Now that only 84 properties from the Redevelopment Authority's inventory have been brought to the ground as of 2023. Meanwhile, the list of vacant and unsafe properties continues to grow.

The city should evaluate whether this slow-go approach is up to the challenge posed by hundreds, if not thousands, of potentially dangerous properties. There is a better, faster way to get dangerous properties on the ground before the next fire results in collateral property damage and even death — and we don't have to look any further than the city's response to the damage done by the recent fire at 422 East 10th St. for the answer. City code officials simply used their existing legal authority through municipal code to take these properties down.

More:Former Erie church among blighted properties after abandonment nearly three years ago

This same authority is used by municipalities across Pennsylvania and other states to demolish any structure that has "become so deteriorated or dilapidated or has become so out of repair as to be dangerous, unsafe, insanitary, or otherwise unfit for human habitation or occupancy." Generally, when confronted with such a property, the code enforcement official sends a notice to the property owner to repair or remove the structure at his or her own expense. If the order is not complied with after a reasonable time, the city can either make repairs or demolish the structure and then lien the property for the costs.

Erie Refocused made one thing abundantly clear: We are at war with blight. Let's use all of the weapons in our arsenal to take on this fight.

David Forrest, Erie