On December 19, a zombie home at 658 Bayview Avenue in Bellport was demolished. Squatters had taken up residence in the home and the Town of Brookhaven reported drug activity at the house, generating numerous resident complaints and Town building code violations.
The house was demolished by the Town in accordance with Chapter 73 of the Town Code which provides a “fast track” to rid neighborhoods of unsafe structures. The cost of demolition and debris removal is the responsibility of the property owner, and the Town places a lien on the property that is then placed on the tax bill. The County reimburses the Town and then they collect the money from the property owner.
Brookhaven Councilman Michael Loguercio and Supervisor Ed Romaine were on hand for the demolition.
“The families that live in this neighborhood work hard to maintain their homes, so it was important that we remove this one to improve their quality of life,” said Supervisor Romaine. “Now that this blight is gone, I will continue to work with Councilman Loguercio and our Law Department to help identify and remove more of these eyesores in Bellport.”
Councilman Loguercio said that the residents who live in the neighborhood deserve a good quality of life and a safe neighborhood.
“Having zombie homes like this, offer opportunities for illegal activity to occur,” he said. “I will continue to advocate for my district to remove more homes like this in the future. We want to protect the property values and the safety of all our residents.”