The borough is seeking appointment of a property manager who would be responsible for making sure the structures meet borough codes. Today is the last day Barrett has to comply with an order issued last month by Cumberland County Court Judge Edgar Bayley, who demanded the property owner turn over personal and financial information the borough is seeking to prepare the case for trial. If he doesn't comply, Bayley indicated the property manager would be appointed without a trial. Tuesday's exchanges were cordial between HARB members and Art Bender, who rents from Barrett and was representing his landlord. Bender, who works with Barrett in construction, had applied for permission to make repairs needed to lift the condemnation orders at the three properties.
Bender lives in one of the properties, located on the first block of South East Street.
Another on the first block of South Bedford is also occupied. An unoccupied residence is adjacent to the South Bedford Street building. Bender said after the meeting borough officials expressed a willingness to work with him, giving him until Dec. 27 to make the repairs. Friends of the Dykeman Hatch House, a volunteer group organized to rescue and preserve an 19th century fish hatchery on the southern edge of Shippensburg, learned its project won one of 30 Keystone grants for historic preservation awarded statewide. The money can be used to repair the Dykeman Hatch House, a limestone structure sitting in the water of Dykeman Pond in a wetlands park inhabited by a variety of waterfowl.