Dispute snags Sinking Spring demolition progress

by Steve Reinbrecht

A dispute between a Sinking Spring property owner and the borough is holding up demolition that will clear the way to improve traffic flow through a major intersection.

Crews have knocked down the old borough hall and Lesher’s Servicenter to make room to straighten the intersection of Columbia, Cacoosing and Penn avenues.

The borough needs to demolish one more building -- a house it owns at 3920 Penn Ave.

The problem is that the adjoining house at 3922 Penn Ave. is more complicatedly connected to the target building than was expected. The house at 3920 was built first. When 3922 was built, the builder did not make a proper support wall, but notched 3920’s existing wall to hold up 3922, according to Borough Manager Mike Hart.

“It was not normal construction,” Hart said. Now 3920 can't be removed without threatening 3922's stability.

Scott A. and Vanessa Dreibelbis bought 3922 for $89,900 in July 2010, according to Berks County records. No one was home there Wednesday morning, and the Dreibelbises could not be reached.

The borough has offered to build a new, proper wall for the Dreibelbises, but they have declined, Hart said, instead asking the borough to buy the house.

The borough won’t buy 3922 because it’s not needed for the work and the borough can’t afford it, he said.

Demolition at the intersection started in September. The work is part of an ambitious plan to build a new road between Route 724 and Columbia Avenue, and build homes, offices, shops and restaurants.