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Naich 1u, 2u14
Bon. Eiic Papenfuse
Nayoi, City of Baiiisbuig
City uoveinment Centei
1u N. Seconu Stieet
Baiiisbuig, PA 171u1
RE: 6S4-6S6 Bamilton Stieet
Beai Nayoi Papenfuse:
I wish the ciicumstances giving iise to this coiiesponuence weie of a positive natuie. I am wiiting
to you about an imminent public safety mattei at the above-iefeienceu piopeities. I felt that you
ueseiveu to heai uiiectly fiom me the issues that have biought us to the point of biinging legal
action against the City, to compel the enfoicement of oui societys laws which aie supposeu to
safeguaiu the public fiom uangei.
The Buonaiioti Tiust is the ownei of 6S4 Bamilton Stieet. This piopeity shaies a common
stiuctuie with the neighboiing piopeity at 6S6 Bamilton Stieet, anu they aie at iisk of collapse. The
common fiont wall is bowing because, as aiticulateu in not one but two stiuctuial engineeiing
iepoits, the oiiginal constiuction is uefective.
Amazingly, the City is taking enfoicement action against just 6S4 anu not the aujoining piopeity.
This is in uefiance of a highly qualifieu engineeiing fiim, which cleaily states it woulu be physically
impossible to comply safely with the Citys order.
Bow are we to choose between a Scylla and Charybdis, to comply with the Citys order when the
aujoining piopeity has no stiuctuial means of stanuing on its own. In fact, to comply with this
oiuei woulu acceleiate the collapse of the aujoining piopeity. The one piopeity piops up the othei.
I must stiess these stiuctuies pose an imminent thieat of collapse. I woulu stiongly suggest the City
exeicise its emeigency poweis to uemolish anuoi stabilize these two stiuctuies. This is piecisely
the type of situation in which such emeigency poweis must be exeiciseu. You woulu ceitainly have
oui full coopeiation, incluuing any financial assuiances necessaiy to expeuite the woik. I am youi
ally in iemeuiating blight.
Encloseu aie the afoiementioneu stiuctuial engineeiing iepoits by Rauuenbush Engineeiing, Inc. It
states in bolu on page S of the moie iecent iepoit:
[] the 636 [Hamilton Street front] wall in its current condition is extremely over!
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It fuithei states on the same page:

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However, in Raudenbushs professional opinion, -.; |Bamilton Stieetj shoulu not be
uemolisheu without the extiemely oveistiesseu conuition of the fiont wall of 6S6 being
iemeuieu. The potential effects of uemolition vibiations on an alieauy oveistiesseu wall
cannot be predicted. [] The bowed condition of the wall has cieateu unsafe levels of stiess
that aie not iemeuieu by the auuition of biaces oi tiebacks.
Copies of these reports have long since been provided to both the Citys office of codes enforcement
anu the law buieau. I am obligateu to point out, this means the City has been given notice of an
unsafe conuition at 6S6 Bamilton Stieet anu has uelibeiately neglecteu to act on it. 0iuinaiily I
woulu not consiuei it my iole to have to point that out.
The next thing I feel must be biought to your attention is the enclosed report from the Citys codes
enfoicement system, which states with iespect to 6S6 Bamilton Stieet:
As pei uiiection of Nayoi Thompson no fuithei action will be taken on this complaint by the
Buieau of Coue Enfoicement.
It woulu appeai the pievious mayoi peisonally ran interference on behalf of 6S6 Bamilton Stieet.
I cannot imagine what ciicumstances woulu inuuce a sitting mayoi to obstiuct a City coues official
fiom enfoicing public safety laws. If tiue, you may join me in feeling uneasy at this eviuence of
negligence anu possibly coiiuption on the pait of the City.
As stateu above, I woulu stiongly suggest anu fully suppoit the City exeicising its emeigency
poweis to uemolish anuoi stabilize these two stiuctuies.
Absent that, in the meanwhile we aie left with no iecouise but to biing legal action to compel the
City to enfoice its public safety laws.
I hope you unueistanu we have exhausteu eveiy safe anu lawful means of iesolving this situation
within oui powei.
Shoulu you wish to uiscuss this mattei any fuithei, please contact me uiiectly.

Sinceiely,
6<= >?@ABCC@6D 6C?E6

B. Ralph vaitan
Tiustee

w Encl.