Fallowfield Township homes may be condemned due to landslides

By TAYLOR BROWN
tbrown@yourmvi.com

Homes on Woodward Avenue in Fallowfield Township may soon be condemned.
The properties, which sit on land owned by the township, have been vacant since 2018 when residents at 527, 529 and 533 received notices their homes were uninhabitable after a landslide.
The landslides caused the foundations of the homes to shift and large cracks formed in the yards.
While there has been much debate around the cause of the slide, and slow-moving work to be done to repair the issue as it lies within two different communities, supervisors in Fallowfield are in the final steps to have the properties condemned.
On Wednesday, a motion to send a final letter to property owners notifying them of intent to condemn the properties was unanimously approved by the supervisors.
If the letters go without response again, the properties will be legally condemned and could be considered for demolition without the property owners consent.
The problem began Sept. 26, 2018, when residents at 527, 529 and 533 received notices to evacuate.
Since then, leaders in Fallowfield and North Charleroi have tried to work together to address the issue, though it has come to a stand still.
The homes in question are within Fallowfield Township, but part of the yards and alley fall in North Charleroi.
Fallowfield Township owns about 250 feet of the alley coming from Fourth Street.
In the past few years, officials have discussed solutions, which included engineering studies and other methods, but splitting the cost brought collaborative efforts to a standstill.
The land is monitored regularly in both jurisdictions but while it has not shifted, resolution has not been agreed upon.
Fallowfield Township’s solicitor will prepare a final notice to property owners this week. If the letter’s go unanswered a final time, the properties could be torn down while officials continue to discuss on how to address the slide, which could affect other property others down the line if pushed aside.