City council approves Fallon Alley closure for installation of Fallon security fence
LOCK HAVEN, PA – There was another development Monday night relative to the future of the “structurally deficient” Fallon Hotel on E. Water Street in Lock Haven. City council approved a request to close the hotel’s adjacent Fallon Alley for the installation of a security fence while the hotel’s current owner addresses code requirements as he works to restore and reopen the currently empty city landmark.
Council’s unanimous approval Monday night followed last week’s meeting of the city’s code enforcement board of appeals and review. At that time the 5-member board, four of whom were present, directed hotel owner C & Q Investments to erect the fence as it gave C & Q Investments owner Carey Chisolm an additional 30 days, until Nov. 12 to submit required plans for addressing city concerns. Those concerns were detailed earlier in the summer, about the now vacant building’s fitness for occupancy.
City manager Greg Wilson told council Monday the code board concern is debris falling from the Fallon roof or falling brick work. The fencing is to be in place as those issues are addressed. Wilson said Chisolm is “anxious to get the roof done.”
The conclusions from the code board session last week, in addition to the deadline extension for approved engineering plans, included word that a city-imposed Stop Work Order would remain in effect and no work could be performed in the structure, including cosmetic work, other than access for an engineer and/or architect be permitted to obtain information to complete the required permit application by the Nov. 12 deadline.
Chisolm told the code board last week he had obtained the services of a State College engineer and his permit application would address concerns raised by the city. Those included the hotel chimney’s loss of structural integrity, signs of water leakage and mold growth and “the use of temporary supports and inadequate railroad tracks to support the first floor.”
The code board report said “the structure has continued to deteriorate since the owner acquired its equitable interest in 2019.” The report said there can be no cosmetic work inside due to concerns about the structural integrity of the first floor, noting “The board determined that any new supports of the first floor that the engineer may require will need to be installed before any additional cosmetic repair work…can commence due to the need to ensure the safety of the occupants of the building.”
The written decision from the code board, as signed by board solicitor Frank Miceli, indicated that Chisolm has moved to address some of those issues, including submission of a mold assessment which the city said did adequately address those concerns.
