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PLAINS TWP. &#8212; A man who wanted his father&#8217;s remains exhumed from a condemned mausoleum in the township finally got his wish.Al Panatieri thanked the township commissioners during public comment at their monthly meeting Thursday for their assistance in the task, which had proven daunting because of the red tape surrounding the decrepit structure at Good Shepherd Memorial Park.Plains Township&#8217;s code enforcement office condemned the mausoleum in June due to its dilapidated condition. Large sections of the concrete roof had collapsed. The rest of the cemetery along Westminster Road has been neglected, with tall grass and weeds covering most of the flat grave markers.The original owner depleted the perpetual care fund before he died and repeated attempts by the township to contact the current property owners, Lawrence Lee and Viktoriia Evstafieva, both of whom have addresses listed in Wilkes-Barre and Ormond Beach, Florida, have been unsuccessful.The remains of loved ones could not be exhumed and moved to a different burial site because the condemnation prevented entry to the mausoleum. But Panatieri said the commissioners&#8217; decision to allow someone to enter the building if they signed a waiver of responsibility made it possible for the exhumation of his father earlier this month.Panatieri, of Wilkes-Barre, said funeral director Chris Yanaitis agreed to sign the waiver and perform the service but needed permission from the property owners. Because they couldn&#8217;t be found, it was necessary to petition the court, which ultimately proved successful, he said.Panatieri said anyone who wants guidance on having their loved ones&#8217; remains disinterred from the mausoleum are welcome to call him at 570-829-5585 or to contact the Kulick Law Form in Exeter and/or the Yanaitis Funeral Home in Plains Township.The commissioners also heard from other residents about ongoing issues that have proven difficult to resolve:&#8226; Francis and Ann Bartlomowicz, of Poplar Street, were upset the township recently denied their application for a handicap parking sign for which they applied six months ago. There is no parking allowed in front of their home on their side of the street and the township put a stop to the elderly, disabled couple parking in the alley behind their house.The commissioners countered that the couple has a car port behind their home, but Francis said it is used for storage. The situation is complicated because the township ordinance allows for designating handicapped parking directly across the street from an applicant, but the couple wanted it placed farther up the street so as not to inconvenience some neighbors.No amicable resolution was forthcoming on Thursday.&#8226; John Povaline, of Kyra Way, said he heard the township took ownership of the roads in his development, which has never had street lighting, making the neighborhood unsafe.Solicitor Stephen Menn said the township did not take ownership yet because the developer must first post a bond to cover the cost of street light installation. He said it&#8217;s likely the bond will be posted by the end of the month.&#8226; Anita Davis, of Litchey Drive, claimed that development of the Geisinger property next to her development caused sediment to infiltrate her water well, causing problems with her appliances. She said she was told that her water was bad prior to the development, and it would cost at least $80,000 to have a line run to her home. But she insisted sediment was not a problem prior to the Geisinger development and called the situation unfair.The commissioners agreed to have the fire chief inquire about the water company laying a public water line for installing a fire hydrant in the neighborhood.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Steve Mocarskysmocarsky@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Steve Mocarsky at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @TLSteveMocarsky.</shirttailMeta></div>

Disinterment of remains from condemned mausoleum in Plains Township successful