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Neglected properties still troubling Depew
Troubled and neglected properties continue to draw attention for the Village of Depew, and on Monday the Village Board found itself again discussing ways in which to deal with the problem.
The board in particular debated what to do with stagnant water in an above-ground swimming pool at 356 Bryant Street and whether to continue mowing the lawn at 52 JFK Street.
John Wojcik, Department of Public Works superintendent, said that if the pool at 356 Bryant is drained entirely, any kind of wind will probably collapse it. Upon hearing that information, Village Mayor Joe McIntosh decided to delay that action.
The Bryant Street property is owned by a bank in North Carolina.
McIntosh suggested sending village workers to the property and shock the pool with chemicals to return the pool water to a sanitary condition before making a final decision on the matter.
James Vallone, village attorney, said he would send a letter to the bank demanding that it do something to remedy the situation or take down the pool because it has become a safety hazard.
As for the other property, the board authorized the DPW to cut the lawn at 52 JFK. The lawn at this property is an issue that has been brought to the board's attention for most of the spring and summer, despite Residential Building Inspector Matthew Filipowicz's claim that the grass had not reached at least the seven inches required in New York State Code to have it cut.
"As far as I was concerned it was a little overgrown but not to the point where somebody would be forced to cut it," Filipowicz said.
Board members expressed frustration concerning the property. Trustee William Dillemuth Jr. even suggested using a private service to cut the lawn to save the village some money until the problem is permanently resolved. Wojcik confirmed that it costs the village roughly $250 each time to cut a lawn such as the one at 52 JFK.
"I don't know what the answer is," Dillemuth said. "It's only common sense that it's just going to get high again. If I hear 52 JFK again...it's driving me crazy."
In another matter, Village Trustee Eugene Molinaro suggested the board put some pressure on the New York State Department of Transportation to follow through with its promise from earlier in the year that it would install flashing lights in front of the high school on Transit Road.
With just one week until the start of the 2006-07 school year, Molinaro said there is no sign of these flashing lights being erected. The flashing lights were part of a plan to make the area around the high school safer for students after an 11th grader was struck by a pickup truck on November 15, 2005.
Also on Monday, the board granted permission to the DPW to purchase a salt spreader from the New York State bid list for an amount not to exceed $8,000. The new machine will replace the current salter, which is no longer operational.
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