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Town Targets Unsightly Properties by Invoking Property Maintenance Law

For Immediate Release                                                        Contact: Collin Nash or Sid Nathan

December 11, 2008                                                              (516) 869 7794

Town Targets Unsightly Properties by Invoking Property Maintenance Law

Garden City Park, NY--The high quality-of-life enjoyed by residents in the town of North Hempstead is a principal reason the municipality was named earlier this year by Money Magazine as one of the top 100 best places to live in America.

While the expansive waterfronts and top-ranking schools are key reasons why North Hempstead is such a highly sought after address, its aesthetic cache also plays a major role.

That, in part, is the reason Supervisor Jon Kaiman has joined with town Councilman Angelo Ferrara to bring into compliance a number of properties that are in violation of North Hempstead’s property maintenance law.

“If you don’t clean up your property, we will,” Supervisor Kaiman said. “And it will cost you.”

North Hempstead’s property maintenance law requires owners of residential, commercial and industrial premises to be vigilant about the upkeep of their properties by:

  • Maintaining steps, walks, driveways and parking spaces to allow safe passage under normal use and

    weather conditions
  • Keeping yards clean and free of physical hazards
  • And eliminating heavy brush, plant growth and trees that may pose a potential threat to public safety

In instances where an offender fails to clean up their property after being issued a notice of violation, the town has a right under the law to conduct the cleanup at the owner’s expense.

This parcel at 96 Sixth St. in Garden City Park falls into that category.

Following up on a flood of complaints from the community, Councilman Angelo Ferrara instructed town of North Hempstead code enforcement inspectors to survey the property over the summer. The property, which had a sizeable hole in the ground where foundation work had started for the construction of a home, was overgrown with vegetation that spilled out onto the sidewalk, town officials said.

The town cleared the right of way after issuing the owner a notice of violation. Ultimately, a summons was issued after the owner failed to respond to the notice of violation. A subsequent bench warrant for his arrest was issued by the Nassau County Third District Court.

At the same time the town had targeted another five locations in the Roslyn Country Club subdivision in Roslyn Heights, some of which were partly-constructed homes awaiting certificates of occupancy. The others had not responded to requests by the town to make alterations so the structures complied with zoning codes.

“This demonstrates the town’s commitment to the environment and surroundings that our residents live in,” said Ferrara. “We cannot allow people to live with these types of conditions.”

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Supervisor Jon Kaiman (center) along with ( L to R) Paul Noetzel, President of Garden City Park Civic Association, GCP Resident George Popowitz, Pat Farrell, GCP Civic Assoc., Councilwoman Lee Seeman, Councilman Angelo Ferrara, members of the Town Highway Department and Superintendent of Highways Tommy Tiernan.

 

Members of North Hempstead’s Highway Department begin the clean up of the unkempt property.

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