`Tenants, owners answer jabs`

By Kim Curry
Herald Staff Writer
Since Tom and Kim Del-Fratte complained to Sharpsville council on May 12 about the Snyder Building at 100 Ridge Ave., the building’s tenants and owners have rushed to defend the former junior high turned busi-ness/apartment complex.

Lisa Cornman, 33, moved from Sharon to a new 1,500-square-foot apartment on the Snyder building’s ground floor 18 months ago. She said she was insulted by how things there were portrayed at the council meeting.

The DelFrattes, who live on First Street next to the build-ing’s driveway, complained about speeding cars, loud ste-reos and a case of public uri-nation at the two-story brick complex. Though some councilmen noted the complex has helped bring business into Sharpsville, the board asked Borough Manager Michael Wilson to send a letter to Snyder management demand-ing improvements.

Mrs. DelFratte “made it seem like everybody in this building is bad,’’ Ms. Cornman said. “My husband and I have respectable jobs. People are different and everybody’s way of living is different. We’re not supposed to judge, either. I just think they’re looking for trouble.” Noting that she and her husband have a 2½-month-old baby, Ms. Cornman said she would be the first to complain if there was noise, and that other tenants were upset by the comments.

“I don’t know how you can speed through that driveway,’’ she added. “There are two big grates (at the curve). It would ruin your tires. And I would say something if I did see something.’’

The driveway ends in a 10-space parking lot at the rear of the building; there is no other exit. The DelFrattes noted that a stop sign the borough placed at the start of the private drive has helped but that they were promised speed bumps and a “Slow — Children at Play’’ sign.

“I do understand her di-lemma because I have chil-dren of my own,’’ building manager Linda Gaspari said during a tour Friday.

She noted that the sign and speed bumps are being discussed, but she wanted to make sure speed bumps wouldn’t divert water into the DelFratte yard.

As for a privacy fence, which the DelFrattes want, Mrs. Gaspari said the couple can build it on the Snyder side of the property line, but management doesn’t plan to build one for them. She said they will install a fence around the Dumpster which sits in the building’s First Street parking lot. After a councilman complained about the Dumpster sitting about a foot on the sidewalk, she had the garbage hauler adjust it.

The lot holds about 60 cars; there are about 15 to 20 other parking spots near the build-ing, Mrs. Gaspari said, adding that more are planned in front and on the other side.

“I’m a firm believer in do-ing things right, whether it’s for my tenants or myself,’’ she said. “I just think it’s a shame because nobody can see what we’re trying to do here.

“Maybe they want an old school or maybe they’ve for-gotten what was here,’’ Mrs. Gaspari said. A contractor on Friday was installing an access ramp for a couple of the businesses on the first floor.

Mrs. Gaspari said other neighbors haven’t complained and some park in the building lot. In fact, she said, a Snyder-hired snow plow cleared a neighbor’s driveway adjacent to the lot last winter. They invite him to regularly use the lot to access his garage.

The building includes 23 apartments on the ground and second floors and 10 busi-nesses on the first floor. Pot-ted plants and framed prints accent the clean, carpeted hallways. All but one apart-ment — a handicapped-accessible unit — are occu-pied.

Rents for the 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartments range from $400 to $455. “I have a lot of rules,” which forbid loud music, drugs, big beer parties and fighting, she said. “The people here are excellent people. They know the rules when they come in. It’s not a slum building.’’

Tenants aren’t allowed to have cats or dogs though they can keep caged birds or fish as pets. Borough Manager Wilson said Friday that he and Mayor Kenneth Robertson met with building management on May 13 and suggested the speed bumps, the Dumpster fence and a privacy fence for the DelFrattes.

“They’ve done a really nice job with the building,’’ Wilson said. “The apartments are beautiful. They are attempting to be good neighbors. Unfortunately it’s too much building for the location it’s in.’’

Wilson said two other neighbors have complained about Snyder tenants parking in front of their houses, though the streets are public, and about the Dumpster. But he hasn’t heard anyone else complain about loud music or speeding cars.

Though Ms. Cornman ad-mitted hearing one young man’s stereo outside, she said it wasn’t late at night. “The longest I’ve ever heard him play is 10 minutes,’’ she said.

“People mind their own business and they’re quiet. They’re hard-working people who need a place to live and are living. I’ve never had a problem with anyone.’’

Some of the commercial tenants agreed Friday that noise isn’t a problem, even with windows open. Rick Burns, who was hired about a year ago to police the building and take care of rou-tine maintenance, lives there and Mrs. Gaspari is also at the building six days a week, she said. “We had a lot of problems with kids in the area,’’ she said.

“Lately there’s no trouble at all,” Burns said. “It’s a secure building — you need a key to get in.’’

Tenants have pride, said Ms. Cornman, whose apart-ment is the only one with a back door/patio adjacent to the rear parking area. She noted she recently bought $60 worth of plants for the patio.

“(The DelFrattes) bought a house next to a big building,’’ she added. “It could be empty and full of vagrants, rats and cockroaches. Full of broken glass, no upkeep and looking like a shambles.” That was roughly the situa-tion before RAD Corp. bought the building about 4½ years ago, Mrs. Gaspari said.

“Some children had broken in and flooded the ground floor,’’ she said. “There were broken windows, graffiti.’’

Her husband, Keith, one of RAD Corp’s four owners, es-timated the company invested just over $1 million in the building.

“We bought that building when it was a pile of scrap,’’ he said. “The four of us (owners of RAD Corp) have poured our hearts and souls into it. We’re always trying to keep the borough happy.”

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Updated May 21, 9999
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