Ex-Pizza by Paras building at York Beach faces possible demolition
YORK, Maine – A hearing will be held next month on the structural safety of the former Pizza by Paras building, which town officials fear could compromise the safety of a nearby business.
For 14 years, the town has fought with Spiro Paras over the building at 16 Railroad Ave., where his family once sold pizza at Short Sands Beach. Now that the town has determined the building is impacting the foundation of a neighboring property, the Selectboard will hold a public hearing on whether the building is dangerous and a nuisance under state law.
The Selectboard voted Monday to hold the quasi-judicial hearing either March 19 or 25, the date to be determined depending on scheduling availability. If the building meets the criteria laid out in state law for dangerousness, the Selectboard will be able to demolish the structure.
“This gives the town direct authority to remove that building,” Town Manager Peter Joseph told the Selectboard Monday.
Eleni Paras, the owner of the building, will have an opportunity to present her side during the hearing.
The Biagioni family, which owns Johnny’s Candy Corner next door, says they are glad the Selectboard is taking steps to address the building. The former pizzeria has had its power shut off by the town, but the Biagionis say a power generator remains connected by the owners to the building to give it electricity. The building has a stop work order on its front door, but the Biagionis say they still hear work taking place early in the morning.
“As someone who sleeps on that wall abutting that building, it is a little nervewracking,” JD Biagioni said.
Board to determine if Paras building is unsafe
The owners of the Pizza by Paras building have been at odds with the town ever since the pizzeria was closed in 2010 due to a lack of permits for renovations. The case was taken to court in 2019, when a judge ordered Pizza by Paras to correct violations, and the town has since motioned to enforce that action in 2020 and 2022.
Recent impacts on neighboring property have given the situation new urgency for town officials to address the problem. In December, the town served the Paras family an order of corrective action outlining several concerns. Those included excavation on the property that has compromised or harmed the foundation of Johnny’s Candy Corner, as well as impacted the sidewalk.
“It’s not just a land use matter,” Joseph said of the recent conditions. “It’s actually a safety concern for abutting properties.”
The Biagionis say the damage to their building has forced them to stop working in the western portion of the structure, though they are continuing to sell chocolates in the other part of the store. Tuesday,
Johnny Biagioni the longtime owner of the business, was still working to prepare candies for Valentine’s Day orders.
An attempt to reach Spiro Paras was unsuccessful this week. The phone number listed to the former pizzeria is no longer connected, as is a phone number last used to reach him by Seacoast Media Group in 2019.
Dangerousness hearing could give new authority to Selectboard
Joseph told the Selectboard Monday the condition of the building has become a concern to both the York Beach fire chief and the code enforcement officer. He said he joined both in visiting the site recently and they requested the Selectboard begin proceedings to determine if the building can be deemed a danger under state law.
The Selectboard will need to agree to several criteria laid out in state statute. The board followed the same procedure in 2022, when it determined a historic cottage at 99 Freeman Street that burned in a fire was a safety hazard. The board was attempting to stop the caretaker from conducting work without permits. The board found the home a danger in a hearing and could have demolished it, but it has since granted the caretaker a permit to allow work to continue.
The criteria considered by the Selectboard included whether the structure was unsafe, unstable, a fire hazard, unsuitable for occupancy, a hazard to health and otherwise dangerous to life or property. Attorney Dan Murphy and then code enforcement officer Amber Harrison advised the board it only needed one of the criteria to be met to find the building a danger.
Selectboard member Mike Estes believes the problem could have been fixed at the Pizza by Paras building when the violations were first observed 14 years ago if proper permitting had been acquired. He said the condition of the building appears to be beyond that now. Other concerns he mentioned included that Spiro Paras has removed walls that are key to the building’s structural support.
“I think we’re hearing from the Fire Department and code that this is really becoming a dangerous building,” Estes said, “Where somebody shouldn’t be in the building at all.”