West Side Regional Police Department requests $300,000 from Luzerne County

Several Luzerne County Council members reacted favorably this week to the new West Side Regional Police Department’s request for $300,000 in county funding.

If approved, the allocation would be used to demolish the vacant former St. Anthony’s Church campus at Jackson and Pace streets in Larksville to make way for the future headquarters of the regional police department, which was activated at the start of this year to cover Larksville and Edwardsville boroughs.

County Community Development Office interest earnings would fund the earmark, county officials said during Tuesday’s work session presentation.

The 0.85-acre Larksville property has three structures — a former church, hall, and rectory — that have carried delinquent taxes and been in “severely blighted condition” for more than a decade, Ted Ritsick, a consultant administrator and grant writer for the regional police department, told council.

“There are areas where ceilings and structural components are at risk of collapse,” Ritsick said. “There is clear evidence of unauthorized entry and fire risk from individuals actually setting fires inside the church.”

Police are constantly patrolling and resecuring the facilities, but the conditions remain a safety hazard to both first responders and the neighborhood, Ritsick said.

“The sooner this is able to happen, the better,” Ritsick said of the demolition.

West Side Regional Police Chief Joseph Coffay told council demolition will allow the department to proceed with plans for a modern police facility. The borough’s current police stations no longer meet operational needs, space requirements, or contemporary standards for security, technology, and community engagement, he said. A new headquarters will improve emergency response, enhance safety, and provide adequate room for police investigations, training, and community service, the chief said.

The preliminary estimated cost of the new headquarters is $4.6 million, including $385,000 to demolish the three buildings and $55,000 for grading and general site work. The department obtained a $500,000 grant to support the startup and is pursuing other grants and financing options to fund the project in phases, Ritsick said.

Larksville purchased the three-parcel property for a total of $160,385 in November from Christine Ismail, according to the recorded deed.

County Councilman Chris Belles said he participated in a recent tour of the site with some of his council colleagues and agrees the buildings are a “danger to the community.”

“The county, I feel, should have some skin in the game as far as this project goes just to keep the citizens of the county safe,” Belles said, adding, “I fully support what you’re doing here.”

Councilman Steve Coslett said he is very familiar with the property, having grown up on the West Side, and noted that the regional department is only requesting $300,000 toward the total estimated demolition and site preparation cost of $440,000.

The project to eliminate blight and improve emergency services meets the purpose of community development funds, he said.

“They’ll make it something very good for the community,” Coslett said of the department plans, describing the existing buildings as a “major hazard.”

Councilwoman Denise Williams said she observed that the property is in “terrible shape” during the tour and asked how the department will fund the remaining demolition and site clearance costs.

Ritsick said funding from the $500,000 grant will be applied if necessary. Swift demolition is the main priority at this stage, and site grading can be addressed in a future phase as additional funds are secured, he said. Ritsick also emphasized the actual costs won’t be known until the demolition is bid out.

Council Vice Chairwoman Brittany Stephenson inquired about the amount remaining in the community development interest fund.

County Budget and Finance Division Head Mary Roselle followed up with council on Wednesday, stating the interest account that would be funding the police request currently has a $344,357 balance.

Council Chairman Jimmy Sabatino said the buildings must be torn down, noting he “fell through the floor” during the tour when he “slipped into a giant hole.”

Council must support regionalization of emergency services, he said.

“This is a high priority for me personally,” Sabatino said, announcing that the earmark will be on council’s March 24 voting agenda.

Larksville and Edwardsville had the “forward-looking perspective” to pursue regionalization after recognizing the “old model of small, independent municipal police departments had become increasingly unsustainable in the face of rising public safety demands, aging facilities, and the financial pressures facing our small boroughs,” Ritsick said.

Consolidating resources will improve services, reduce duplicative costs, and enhance officer coverage and response, he told council.

The department is in the process of reaching full staffing of 20 officers, he said.