Jul 17, 2009 1 min read

Carmichaels Borough recently notified four North Market Street property owners whose sidewalks were damaged in a January fire that they must repair the sidewalks in accordance with a borough ordinance. The ordinance requires property owners to maintain the sidewalks along their properties, said Mary Lewis, borough secretary. If someone gets hurt on a sidewalk, the property owner could be held responsible, Lewis said.

The Jan. 8 fire destroyed three adjacent buildings, forcing 13 people, including five children, from five families out of their apartments and destroyed a pet grooming business.

Area residents and businesses donated food, clothing, furniture and money to the displaced families.

State police fire marshals said they couldn’t determine the cause of the fire, but did not consider it suspicious.

At Tuesday’s borough council meeting, council approved a request from Dan Baily, president of the Carmichaels Municipal Authority board of directors, to donate a bench and planters for the outside of the borough building, Lewis said.

She said the borough has applied for a $25,000 state grant to construct a sidewalk at the borough building and a $12,500 state grant for storage shed.