Lehigh Street residents called on the Village of Williston Park Board of Trustees to force a neighbor to clean up a property that they say is blighting their street at Monday night’s board meeting.
The residents complained that the home at 101 Lehigh was in disrepair and a stench was emitted from the backyard.
“This home is condemnable. I stand before you asking you to do something,” said Lehigh Street resident Annmarie Dulce.
Another Lehigh Street neighbor said the homeowner had done nothing to maintain the property during the 20 years she had lived on the street. The neighbor also said the man’s dog has attacked and bitten her two years ago while she was walking her own dog with her five-year-old son.
“It’s disgusting. No one would want to live next to him,” she said.
Village of Williston Park Mayor Paul Ehrbar told the residents the village has served the owner, Bernard Stoehr, with summonses for village code violations and the case was now in village court.
“I’d love to go down and tear his house down,” Ehrbar said. “I was amazed this was going on.”
Ehrbar, who said he first learned about problems with the home in March, said he had no power to compel the homeowner to clean up the property without a court ruling to force the issue. He said the village court is aware of the village board’s desire for a quick resolution and has pictures of the site to illustrate the conditions there.
Asked whether the village had inspected the property as a potentially hazardous situation, Ehrbar said Williston Park Fire Department Chief George Jaroncyk, Jr. had examined property from the street. He said the village had no right to go onto the property without court authority.
Williston Park Trustee Michael Uttaro, a division supervisor in the general inspection division of the county Fire Marshall’s office and a New York State code enforcement officer, said it’s far easier to enforce code violations on commercial properties than it is to bring private residences into compliance. Commercial properties can be closed for non-compliance, while private homeowners have other rights.
“Everyone is entitled to their own little kingdom,” Uttaro said. “That’s the problem. You need a court order.”
Village attorney James Bradley said the “fastest recourse” the village has to resolve the Lehigh Street problem is the course it’s following in village court. In response to residents’ frustrations about two successive adjournments of the case over the past two months, Bradley said that’s a “normal thing.”
Bradley said it might be possible to obtain an injunction against the homeowner in county court and said he would explore the situation further.
“We can’t just send a bulldozer there and knock his house down,” Ehrbar said.
Deputy Mayor Kevin Rynne told the residents, “At least it’s in court. I ask you to be patient.”
A third court appearance by the homeowner was slated for Wednesday night.
In other developments:
• George Jaroncyk Sr. expressed frustration over a recurrent flooding problem in his neighborhood at the intersection of Gilmore and Marcellus streets. He said state Sen. Jack Martins had suggested he write to Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano about the problem, but he asked Ehrbar to write a letter to Mangano instead.
Ehrbar said he would write the letter. He also said he had discussed the problem, which he said stems from the county drainage system, with Martins, Mangano and Nassau County Richard Nicolello.
“It’s your streets. You’re responsible for your streets,” Jaroncyk said.
“I can’t stop the flooding,” Ehrbar said.
• Williston Park Civic Association president Bob Mitchell complained about the poor condition of many village roads.
He said the Village of East Williston had addressed the problem in its municipality with a comprehensive repair program.
Ehrbar said East Williston had far less than the 18 miles of roads in Williston Park. He said it would require $5 million to repair Williston Park’s roads.
“I agree the road situation is not a good one,” Ehrbar said.
