Plan includes 21 abandoned ‘eyesores’ in community

Smithtown Town Supervisor Patrick Vecchio at Tuesday’s meeting regarding what to do with abandoned buildings in town. (Photo: A. Wagner / SmithtownRadio.com)

Smithtown, NY (SmithtownRadio.com) – In response to growing concerns about local abandoned buildings, Smithtown Town Board members decided Tuesday on the criteria to be used in upcoming safety inspections.

Smithtown Supervisor Patrick Vecchio and other counselors agreed the act of deeming a building safe needed more criteria, such as sanitation, abandonment, structural soundness, maintenance, dilapidation, and obsolesce.

In past safety inspections, only structural soundness was taken into account, town officials stated. They say this lead to the overlooking of some sites, which just got worse with time.

“When the owner is in jail and taxes haven’t been paid, who’s responsible?” says Sean Lehmann, Kings Park Civic Association President. Lehmann refers to the two houses owned by Frederic Powell, a recently disbarred lawyer serving a sentence in federal prison. His neglected property attracts vermin and kids looking for a place to hang out, both of which frustrate neighbors.

Utilizing these new safety criteria, town officials will inspect 21 buildings community members have labeled as troublesome and determine a further course of action. This is after all involved parties are given three-week notices.