FRAZER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office has charged the owners of Pittsburgh Mills mall with creating a criminal public nuisance.
The criminal complaint states that emergency services’ access to the property was impeded due to pothole-riddled roads, causing hazardous conditions for both civilians and emergency responders. The long-term hazardous conditions resulted in longer and unexpectable emergency response times and vehicle damage from the potholes, the DA’s office said.
>>>Previous coverage: Neighbors concerned over potholes around Pittsburgh Mills Mall
In March, representatives from the DA’s office went to the mall to assess potholes after community members and the Frazer Township Police expressed their safety concerns. In the past 4 years, police say they’ve been called 38 times all for issues related to potholes.
Additionally, the DA’s Office issued a search warrant that same week for bank records from the property owner, Namdar, LLC. According to court paperwork, bank records showed that businesses that surround the mall have paid thousands of dollars to the realty company to maintain the roads.
“Despite the township’s diligent efforts to compel the defendant to remediate the long-term hazards, no actions were taken. Recent events indicate the defendant had the ability to remediate earlier but declined to do so,” the DA’s office said in a release.
The investigation is ongoing.
John Ott is a customer at the mall and said he was thinking about warning others of the conditions.
“I was thinking about ‘enter at your own risk’ signs putting those up or ‘danger turn around now,” Ott said.
He went as far as trying to fill the potholes himself, but said the effort was a lost cause.
Kim Dunay’s husband owns Dave and Brian’s Collectors Den inside of the mall. She said she wishes the charges had come earlier.
“Unfortunately, we’ve come to expect Namdar not following through on things that need to be maintained at this mall,” Dunay said. “We feel it may have deterred some customers from coming.”
Namdar Realty Group has yet to comment on the charges.
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