Plans For Sherman Hills Remain Secret

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WILKES-BARRE, PA — Park Management Inc.’s detailed plans for the Sherman Hills Apartments will remain secret for a little longer.

The Brooklyn, N.Y.-based company submitted a remediation plan for the troubled complex Dec. 2 after a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development inspection in September found “possible life-threatening security issues” due to management’s neglect of the 344-unit facility.

The Citizens’ Voice, along with congressional leaders and Wilkes-Barre officials, have filed a Freedom of Information Act request for that plan.

In a letter released Friday, Shirley Bryant, Freedom of Information Act liason for HUD, says the agency is giving Park Management until Jan. 31 to object to the plan’s release based on the department’s FOIA regulations exempting “trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person [that is] privileged or confidential.”

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/plans-for-sherman-hills-remain-secret-1.1618522

HUD: Sherman Hills Issues Life-Threatening

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WILKES-BARRE, PA — Sherman Hills tenants are experiencing life-threatening security issues that include inoperable surveillance cameras, broken windows and more than half of exterior lights not turned on or broken, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report said.

The report, made public Thursday, follows a two-day HUD inspection in September of six of the eight “garden style buildings” within the complex, including Building 328, where two girls suffered gunshot wounds in August.

The sprawling 344-unit apartment complex off Coal Street has been plagued by violent crime in recent years, including the shooting of the two girls and a fatal shooting of a woman on Nov. 11.

Read more: http://timesleader.com/news/local-news/1001665/HUD:-Sherman-Hills-issues-life-threatening

Wilkes-Barre Slaps Fine On Sherman Hills

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Editor’s note:  Attention Pottstown Borough leadership – this is the kind of action you SHOULD be taking, instead of denying there is a drug problem and a slumlord problem in Pottstown.  At least Wilkes-Barre is taking proactive steps to clean up a problem that is plaguing their city by using existing laws and ordinances to do so.  In Pottstown these same problems are the elephant in the room that the “leadership”, and I use that word loosely, chooses to sit idly by and ignore at the peril of every resident.  Shame on you people!

WILKES-BARRE, PA — The city has levied a $33,000 fine against Sherman Hills Realty LLC on allegations the realty company failed to have apartments at the Sherman Hills complex inspected before new tenants moved in.

U.S. Housing and Urban Development personnel began a two-day inspection of the 344-unit complex on Monday, the same day the letter was sent to the Brooklyn, N.Y., realty company. The city alleges 60 units had new tenants, but the apartments were not inspected.

“It has come to the attention of the City of Wilkes-Barre that since the last time inspections were performed at your facility, 60 units have changed tenants. A change in tenant per the Wilkes-Barre City Code of Ordinances requires a rental inspection,” the letter says.

“The units have since been inspected but your company is still accountable for the fines during this period. The complex … has been found to be in violation of the Wilkes-Barre City Code of Ordinances entitled ‘Rental Dwelling/Residence and Tenant Registration,’ ” the letter said.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/845198/City-slaps-fine-on-Sherman-Hills