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MEMO
TO:
Tom Davis
Jim Horan
Lisa Cobb
CC:
Town Board Members
FROM:
Al Roberts
DATE:
June 12,2009
RE:
Town of Wappinger
Unsightly Buildings
To his credit, Mark Liebermann scoured the Property Maintenance Code (19 NYCRR
1226, Section 301.3) which provides:
"All vacant structures and premjses thereof or vacant land shall be maintained in a
clean, safe, secure and sanitary condition as provided herein so as not to cause a blighting
problem or adversely affect the public health or safety."
"Blighting problem" is not defined. Webster's Dictionary has several definitions of blight
including "any thing that destroys", "prevents growth, etc.", "a person or thing that
withers the hopes or ambitions of another person", or "to destroy", "to frustrate as hopes
or plans; to blast the happiness of'.
The Town has a number of unsightly, boarded up buildings which unfortunately are
located in very visible locations:
· southeast quadrant, Route 9 and Old Hopewell Road;
· two buildings - north side Old Hopewell Road, 800 feet east of Route 9.
Mark Liebermann has already cited the building located at Old Hopewell Road and Route
9. The buildings on Old Hopewell Road will be cited. The concern the three of us had is
the loose wording of the code. Accordingly, in anticipation of numerous prosecutions
under this section of the code, I am asking Lisa and Jim to research any successful
prosecutorial decisions under this section of the Code.
C:\Documents and Settings\Chris Masterson\Local Settings\Temporarylnternet Files\OLK4B\061209 memo to TRD JPH LMC re
unsightly buildings.doc