2025-07-29-town_council_show_cause_hearing-_packet_mill_property.pdf

THE TOWN OF CENTREVILLE 101 LAWYERS ROW CENTREVILLE, MD 21617

410-758-1180 FAX 410-758-4741 WWW.TOWNOFCENTREVILLE.ORG

Town Council Show Cause Hearing July 29, 2025 7:00 p.m.

Liberty Building 107 N. Liberty Street, 2nd floor meeting room I. Convene – Council President Kaiser II. Motion to go into Show Cause Hearing a. 2647 Centreville Road IV. Discussion V. Motion to Adjourn – Council President Kaiser 2025-07-29-Town Council Show Cause Hearing- Mill Property

• August 14, 2015 – Letter regarding complaints of improperly stored and/or disposed

vehicles, boats, construction and demolition debris, building materials, and other litter located onsite. 30-day letter – John Fury

• November 19, 2015 – Follow up letter to the August 14, 2015 letter. Gave until December

21, 2015 to clean up. – John Fury

• December 30, 2015 – Building permit issued for fence. A 16 ft. fence to meet the

neighbors existing fence to the south side of the building. – John Fury.

• June 3, 2016 – Letter sent to 29060 Airpark Drive, Easton MD – follow up on previous

correspondence regarding improperly stored items and litter located on property and that the Town has received multiple complaints regarding the overall condition of property.

Referenced a meeting the previous summer which Mr. Geschwilm stated the concerns would be addressed and a privacy or stockade fence would be installed and no permit has been received yet. Deadline of June 27, 2016 to resolve the zoning violations, removal of discarded/abandoned items and submission of a building permit for a privacy fence.

Also cutting of tall grass/weeds and trimming of bushes and other vegetation along the entire frontage of the property and removal/repair of the detached fascia board. – John Fury

• September 6, 2019 – received a call from Mr. Geschwilm regarding the property

maintenance violation letter. – Steve Walls

• September 25, 2019 – email to Steve Walls that Mr. Geschwilm stopped in the office the

day before (9/24) while he was out regarding his property. – Steve Walls

• November 13, 2019 – Letter mailed – 29060 Airpark Drive, Easton, MD 21601 – letter was

in reference to the property condition. Stated during a telephone conversation that the 60-day extension expired on November 13 and based on Mr. Geschwilm’s circumstances, gave another extension to December 7, 2019. – Steve Walls

• November 22, 2019 – Email to Mr. Geschwilm following up on a conversation that the

Town will continue with the December 7th deadline and attached the November 13,2019 letter for his records. – Krystel Ebaugh (Acting Town Manager at the time).

• December 6, 2019 – Email from Krystel to Steve Walls indicated Mr. Geschwilm called to

discuss what he has done with the Old Mill. – Krystel Ebaugh

• December 12, 2019 – Email to Steve Walls:

Steve, I called your office this morning to update progress towards deadline of Dec. 7th. The Delmarva Power Company had to remove the Temporary power line that was put up during bridge reconstruction before I could safely use the rented 60’ Genie Lift. Delmarva Power performed this removal on Tuesday Nov. 26th. So my first opportunity to begin repairs and use the Lift was Nov. 27th.

On that day I removed all remaining soffit material to eliminate Safety concerns of anything falling towards street traffic or pedestrians. Since that day I have been using the Genie Lift to replace sections of Roofing. The roof line will not be uniform (one straight edge) as I cut out sections to expedite the process. So if the aesthetics is more important than just addressing the more immediate “Safety”

concern which the Town had expressed, please let me know. It is my intention to hire a Contractor to replace the roof entirely next Summer.

If you care to inspect the repairs from the 60’ Genie Lift, let me know. The Rental Company is going to pick the Lift up Monday morning Dec. 9th. I would be available to take you up either this afternoon or Saturday. Otherwise please let me know if my obligations to the Town have been satisfied.

Thank you for a reply. Charles Geschwilm 410-409-6129 ( C )

• December 12, 2019 – Response from Steve Walls indicating he would stop by on Saturday

morning to inspect and will call to go over inspection if Mr. Geschwilm was no on site. – Steve Walls

• August 25, 2020 – Email regarding a conversation earlier in the year regarding the

condition of the building and Mr. Geschwilm had indicated a new roof would be in place by the end of the summer. Advised it was approaching the last week in August and nothing had been completed. – Steve Walls

• March 10, 2021 – Email to staff from Steve Walls - Pictures taken December 21 that

includes a sheet of roof tin came off and is entangled in the small trees below building.

Conditions have worsened over winter months and can visibly see more roof is missing sheets of tin. Betty Jean sent an inquiry to Sharon March 3 for guidance on the extent of enforcement, fines and option for Town to repair and invoice owner as this matter is overdue. When Sharon responds, please include other maintenance issues like replace doors and windows so appearance is uniform and at minimum paint on sides visible to

the public riding by.

• August 3, 2021 – Letter regarding property maintenance and stated that property

maintenance started in 2015 and listed all times reached out:

This letter gave a deadline of September 7, 2021 or will result in a civil citation which carries a maximum fine of $1,000. If repairs are not made the Town will be hired to complete the repairs and Mr. Geschwilm will be invoiced for the work.

• March 10, 2024 – email requesting another structural engineering study completed. –

Carolyn Brinkley

• March 19, 2024 – email requesting a copy of

• April 12, 2024 – email requesting a meeting in May with Council President Kaiser and then

Council Member Kiel. – Carolyn Brinkley

• May 5, 2024 – responded with May 8, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. as a meeting date. Mr. Geschwilm

• May 6, 2024 – replied to confirm time. – Carolyn Brinkley

• May 13, 2024 – email confirming if a meeting is scheduled for the following day with the

real estate/restaurant party interested in the Mill property. – Charles Geschwilm.

• May 13, 2024 – email confirming I received voice mail and Carol D’Agostino was working

with the real estate agent to check on availability of meeting the following day.

• November 6, 2024 – Sent email explaining Chapter 31 of the Code regarding dangerous

buildings giving a 30-day notice to make necessary repairs to the building. Indicating this email was not an “official” notice of non-compliance but trying to give additional time to begin making the repairs before the official notice is given. – Carolyn Brinkley

• March 10, 2025 – Sent email following up on voice mail messages sent to request another

structural engineering study be completed on the Mill. – Carolyn Brinkley

• March 19, 2025 – Sent email to follow up on a voice mail left to attempt to coordinate with

the building inspector to complete an inspection of the property and request a copy of the structural engineering report that was completed prior. – Carolyn Brinkley

• April 4, 2025 – Sent email with April 4, 2025 letter (sent via email and certified mail to 502

Dogwood Road, Linthicum, MD) with request to coordinate an inspection with the Town’s building inspector to gain access to the property. – Carolyn Brinkley

• April 4, 2025 – Sent certified letter to 502 Dogwood Road, Linthicum, MD) see above –

Carolyn Brinkley

• April 15, 2025 – Sent certified letter to 29060 Airpark Drive, Easton – attempting to contact

to schedule an inspection of the property.

• April 15, 2025 – Sent email with a copy of the certified letter attempting to contact to

schedule an inspection of the property.

• April 17, 2025 – email forwarding a second letter requesting a site inspection of property

via email – Carolyn Brinkley

• April 21, 2025 – email confirmation to meet inspector at 2:00 – Charles Geschwilm

• April 21, 2025 – Inspection completed by Hal Davis, MDIA.

• April 22, 2025 – Inspection letter received by Hal Davis, MDIA indicating that the property

was found to be in deplorable condition and is beyond reasonable repair. Due to the building being so close to the road, it could possibly collapse and fall into the road and possibly injure or even kill somebody driving on the road. It is his professional opinion that the building is a serious safety hazard and needs to be evaluated by a professional engineer and repairs made or demolished as soon as possible. – Pictures attached with

letter. – Hal Davis

• April 28, 2025 – sent email confirming mailing address. Carolyn Brinkley

• May 9, 2025 – Sent certified letter to 507 Dogwood Road, Linthicum, MD and email with

letter attached – Dangerous Buildings letter and giving 60-day notice to repair, vacate, or demolish the building. – Carolyn Brinkley

• May 12, 2025 – emailed a copy of the 5/9/2025 certified letter to Mr. Geschwilm. – Carolyn

Brinkley

• July 9, 2025 – Letter from Hal Davis, MDIA to the Town Council that as of July 9, 2025 the

property located at 2647 Centreville Road, Centreville, MD has not been repaired, vacated, or demolished as was cited in the 60-day requirement in the May 9, 2025 certified letter to Mr. Geschwilm from Carolyn Brinkley.

• July 9, 2025 – Hal Davis posted the property with the following language:

o This building has been found to be a dangerous building by the Building Inspector.

This notice is to remain on this building until it is repaired, vacated, or demolished in accordance with the notice which has been given to the owner, occupant, lessee, mortgagee, trustee or agent of this building, and all other persons having an interest in said building as shown by the Land Records of Queen Anne’s County.

It is unlawful to remove this notice until such notice is complied with.” o The notice was attached to the chain link fence on July 9th and on July 13th it was noticed someone had removed the sign.

• July 15, 2025 – Show Cause Hearing letter issued. – Carolyn Brinkley

• July 16, 2025 – Jeff Whitzel, process server, picked up the show cause hearing letter to

hand deliver to Mr. Geschwilm. – Carolyn Brinkley

• July 17, 2025 – emailed a copy of the show cause hearing letter to Mr. Geschwilm. –

Carolyn Brinkley

• July 18, 2025 – emailed received from Mr. Geschwilm to Carolyn Brinkley about where Jeff

Whitzel, process server, could meet him to deliver the show cause hearing letter. He also indicated that he is awaiting a contract for demolition that he will bring to the July 29th hearing.

• July 18, 2025 – Letter was hand delivered on July 18th by Jeff Whitzel, a process server, to

Mr. Geschwilm.

• July 18, 2025 – responded to email. – Carolyn Brinkley