This chapter shall be known as and may be cited as "Mount Gretna
Borough Dangerous Buildings Ordinance."
This chapter shall apply uniformly to all persons, business
organizations, nonprofit organizations, and all other legal entities;
and it shall apply uniformly to all property and all property owners
within the Borough of Mount Gretna;
Whenever it shall be reported or come to the attention of any
Borough official or police officer that any building or structure,
completed or in the process of construction, or any portion thereof,
is in a dangerous condition, such person shall report same to the
Board; and the Board shall immediately designate a Borough official,
employee, qualified inspector, or police officer to make an investigation
and examination of such building or structure. If such investigation
or examination indicates such building or structure to be a dangerous
building, a written report of such investigation shall be sent to
the Board, specifying the exact condition of such building or structure
and setting forth whether or in what respect the structure is dangerous
and whether the structure is capable of being properly repaired or
whether it shall be removed as a dangerous building.
The Mount Gretna Borough shall:
A. Upon receipt of a report in accordance with the investigation procedure provided for herein above in §
70-6 of this chapter, give written notice to the owner or owners of such dangerous building as determined by the record in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds in and for the County of Lebanon in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or failing to find any owner or owners, then such occupant, mortgagee, lessee, agent, or any other person with an interest in said dangerous building who may be located, to appear before the Board on the date specified in the notice to show cause why the building or structure reported to be a dangerous building should not be repaired, demolished or vacated in accordance with the statement of particulars set forth in the notice provided for herein;
B. Within not less than 10 nor more than 60 days from the date of such
notice, hold a hearing and hear such testimony as the owner, occupant,
mortgagee, lessee or other person having an interest in said building
shall offer related to it;
C. Within 30 days of such hearing, make written findings of fact from
the testimony offered pursuant to the hearing as to whether or not
the building in question is a dangerous building; and
D. Within not more than 30 days following the hearing provided for by Subsection
B hereof, issue an order, based upon findings of fact made pursuant to Subsection
C hereof, demanding the owner of said building to repair, demolish or vacate any building found to be a dangerous building.
The following standards shall be followed in substance by the
Board in ordering repair, vacating or demolition of a dangerous building:
A. If the dangerous building can be repaired as determined by the Board
so that it will no longer exist in violation of the terms of this
chapter, it shall be ordered repaired.
B. If the dangerous building is in such condition as to make it dangerous
to the health, morals, safety, or general welfare of its occupants,
it shall be ordered to be vacated.
C. If the dangerous building cannot be reasonably repaired as determined
by the Board, it shall be demolished.
D. If the dangerous building is a fire hazard or is existing or erected
in violation of the terms of this chapter or any other ordinance of
the Borough or any statute of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, it
shall be demolished.
In cases where it reasonably appears that there exists an immediate danger to the life or safety of any person caused or created by a dangerous building, the Board shall cause the immediate repair, vacation or demolition of such dangerous building. The costs of such emergency repair, vacation or demolition of such dangerous building shall be collected as provided for in §
70-9E of this chapter.