Oil City Council members approved the demolition of six dilapidated, condemned structures that are owned by the city during their meeting Thursday.
The structures are located at 27 Plummer St., 37 Plummer, 235½ Bissell Ave., 157 Crawford St., 28 Halyday St. and 138 Charlton St., Kelly Ryen, the city’s community development director, said.
All the residences are vacant, Ryen said.
The contracts for the demolitions would be advertised twice, Ryen said. She added that bids would be opened Dec. 2 and the contracts awarded at the Dec. 9 council meeting.
Due to the use of federal funds to demolish the structures, a period of time will have to elapse before the city is allowed to put the vacant land up for bid, Ryen said.
“We are getting so many demolitions that we wanted to catch up and demo the ones we have,” city manager Mark Schroyer said. These six demolitions would catch the city up, close out the grants and get them ready for the next round of demolitions, Schroyer said.
Schroyer estimated that there are between 800 and 1,000 blighted structures in Oil City that either need torn down or rehabilitated.
He noted that when he started with the city, Venango County had done a survey that concluded that Oil City could lose about 20% of its housing without having a lack of housing.
“We have an excess in housing and it shows,” Ryen said. The population decline in the city was noted.
Long appointed chief
In other business Thursday, council appointed Derek Long as the city’s fire chief after he had served for the past six months as interim chief.
Long, who has been with the department for 17 years, took over for former chief Mark Hicks, who retired earlier this year.
“He has done a good job. The transition has gone smoothly, which is a credit to the staff,” Schroyer said.
Christmas Past coming
Council also approved a request to close Sycamore Street and use Town Square for the city’s Christmas Past festivities on Friday, Dec. 3.
Ryen said activities will begin about 5 p.m. that evening and include the Oil City Rotary chili cook-off, caroling around the Christmas tree, an appearance by Santa, and the city fire department’s “fill the fire truck” event to benefit Toys for Tots.
Double Play will be the site of the chili cook-off, and snacks will be provided for children, Ryen said.
Christmas Past will continue Saturday, Dec. 4, with various activities, including a bazaar and Christmas tree display at the Venango Museum, Ryen said. The Transit Art Gallery will also be open, she added.
Long said the community Christmas tree will be set up in Town Square the week of Nov. 14 and be decorated Nov. 20.
