Biohazard cleaning business proposes new office, warehouse building in Arnold

The owner of an Arnold business specializing in cleaning biohazards wants to put up a new building in the city for his company.

JCS Biohazard Services cleans biologically hazardous materials, including blood, sewage, animal waste, animal carcasses and drug and medical waste, according to the company’s website. It provides cleanup services for accidental deaths and hoarding.

The company currently is at 1700 Fifth Ave. in Arnold.

Owner William Jankovik has proposed building an office and warehouse on vacant land in the 1500 block of Third Avenue, near 16th Street.

The city’s Zoning Hearing Board will hold a public hearing on the project beginning at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 6 at the public safety building, 601 Drey St.

Jankovik declined to comment.

The building would be on three parcels the city owns at 1530-1534 Third Ave. The city bought the properties and tore down vacant and dilapidated houses on them to create an area suitable and attractive for redevelopment, community development Director Rick Rayburg said.

Rayburg said it is similar to what the city did with property on Fourth Avenue, where the Whalen family has nearly finished construction of a new building for their family’s business, Michael F. Whalen Contracting.

The city is continuing such efforts, using grant money to tear down houses on adjacent parcels and connect them.

“That’s what we want,” Rayburg said. “Hopefully, this will motivate other people to consider purchasing and building in the city.”

The property Jankovik has proposed building upon is zoned transitional residential, and an office/warehouse is allowed there, Rayburg said.

It does, however, require a special exception approval from the three-member Zoning Hearing Board, which Rayburg said could impose conditions, such as for off-street parking.

Rayburg said he does not foresee any problems. He said Jankovik owns about a half-dozen residential properties in Arnold and is considered a good landlord.

Rayburg described the proposed building as a one-story structure, 60 feet long and 40 feet wide.

Jankovik would buy the parcels from Arnold’s Redevelopment Authority. Rayburg said the purchase is conditioned on the zoning approval.

Rayburg said he believes a price for the land has been agreed upon, but he did not know the price.

If approved, Rayburg said, Jankovik hopes to start construction in the spring.