BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA — While village trustees begin to take legal steps to address issues at 18 Park Avenue, public hearings have also been set to address unsafe properties at 31, 33 Pine Street and 21 Tamarack Street. 

The news came from a village board of trustees meeting held Aug. 21, during which Code Enforcement Officer Walter Bean informed trustees that the property owner failed to meet the deadline for an “Order to Remedy.” 

The properties, owned by Down Family Revocable Trust, are in an advanced state of disrepair, according to Bean. He said they may constitute a danger to nearby properties and to the public’s safety due to the proximity of the structures to the sidewalk and street. 

“It’s unknown if the place is occupied. I tried to establish that. We’ve got no contact from the owners. The owner of the property has yet to reach out to our office or remedy any of the issues,” Bean said. 

One of the large issues with the structure is the porch, which Bean said is collapsing. 

Under the village code, property owners are meant to maintain the exterior of the property, from paint and siding to the actual physical structural integrity. Bean said the property owners have failed to do so, leading to the porch and front roof assembly beginning to collapse right near the sidewalk and street. 

He said for that reason the village must take action on the property to ensure public safety. 

The other property, located at 21 Tamarack St., has also proven to be a problem for a significant length of time, village officials said. 

That property has a number of code violations, including abandoned vehicles sitting in the driveway, along with trash and tall grass that is not being maintained. 

According to Code Enforcement Officer Aaron Hardy, the property is “another one of those out-of-country property owners who has done absolutely nothing with it.” 

“We mow it. We pick up the trash. We mow it. We pick up the trash,” he said. 

Hardy said he and other code enforcement officers have heard rumors about other activities that have been occurring in the backyard but noted they were not able to get to the back part of the property. He did not specify what activities specifically were rumored to have occurred there. 

With the board unanimously passing a resolution to take action on the property, Hardy said that would allow his office to take action if the owner does not comply with the request within seven days. 

The notice to comply is the next step required for the village to take further action on the property. 

Hardy said that would allow the village to step foot on the property and “basically take care of everything.” 

“I think this is the right way forward with it. Once we get it cleaned up, we may have to come back in a month or two to establish an emergency and board it up for an unsafe structure. But, we need to be able to really see this whole property from top to bottom,” he said. 

While board members said they were pleased to be able to move forward with cleanup efforts, Mayor Greg Paquin noted that more work was needed on various other properties throughout the village. 

He said  in the case of 21 Tamarack St., the cost of the cleanup efforts and other costs incurred by the village would be added to the property owner’s tax bill for reimbursement. 

Trustees signaled that similar action would be taken on other properties in the future if cleanup and remediation efforts were not carried out by property owners who are not in compliance with village code. 

Trustee Ken McGowan was critical of the numerous landlords who did not live within the community and failed to keep up with their properties. 

He said it was time for the village to “play hard ball” and begin cracking down on those who are delinquent in their responsibilities to the village, their tenants and the community as a whole. 

McGowan said the actions taken by the board during the recent meeting should put property owners on notice. 

“This is what we’re going to do. We’re not going to play games anymore. The police department doesn’t have time. The fire department doesn’t have time. If you’re going to be a good neighbor, be a good neighbor. If not, oh well, get your checkbook out,” he said.