Imagine living next to a dilapidated house that smells, has been posted with "rat poison" signs and is considered to be in such bad shape that it's a safety hazard.

That's what more than two dozen residents on Stanton Street in Sharon say they have been putting up with for years.

The city has put the structure at 1244 Stanton on the list of houses to be demolished. Mayor David O. Ryan told council Thursday that he has a petition from 27 residents asking for the house to be razed.

Ryan described the house as "nothing but a hazard." He said he toured it with the zoning and code officer and the fire chief.

"It just isn't bad, it's deplorable," Ryan said.

Jay Panzarella told council he's surprised the house hasn't fallen down. He said it's rat infested, has foundation problems and there is "constantly an odor of mildew emanating from the property."

Panzarella now lives in Pittsburgh but said he lived on Stanton for many years and his mother still lives there. He said the house has been a problem for as long as he can remember.

However, Sharpsville resident Joe Toth, who said he owns more than 70 properties in Sharon, wants city officials to take the house off the demolition list so he can buy it and renovate it.

"That house ain't so bad as he's saying it is. The foundation ain't bad," Toth told council Thursday.

Councilman Lou Rotunno said he wanted to buy the house last summer, but the real estate agent wouldn't sell it because of the house's poor condition.

Toth said the lot is too small for a new house, and people aren't building homes in Sharon. "I don't see no new houses going up," he said.

Councilman Raymond Fabian said the house is "terrible and deplorable. Everyone in the neighborhood wants this (the demolition) done."

Council President Fred Hoffman said the house needs to be torn down. "The people (in the neighborhood) have been more than patient," he said.

William Zamary didn't attend the council meeting but said Friday that he signed the petition. Zamary said he still lives in town but is trying to sell his home on Stanton, and the dilapidated house has been a problem.

"It's just an eyesore for the neighborhood. The house has been a deterrent in trying to sell (my) property," Zamary said.

"It's been frustrating for the neighborhood because most of the people there do try to maintain their properties," he said. "Think of the people who live across the street and have to look at it every day."

School Director Kathy Hall asked city officials what tax revenue the city would lose if the lot were vacant.

Ryan said the total taxes for the city, school and county would be about $2,000 a year.

City Finance Director Michael Gasparich said the city hasn't collected taxes on the property in years, and the city is now maintaining the lot.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Kristen Garrett at:
kgarrett@sharonherald.com