Town Calls In Wrecking Ball for Blighted Homes

Town of Smithtown officials are seeking a contractor to level two vacant, blighted Smithtown homes this spring. 

Smithtown Town Board voted Tuesday to open the bidding process for contractors willing to demolished two local eyesores, 30 Helen Avenue and 7 Hadley Drive. Both have been deemed unsafe under by building inspectors under town code. 

John Zollo, Smithtown's town attorney, said the town will be accepting bids through Feb. 21 at which time they will open and review submissions for the lowest bids. Zollo believes a contractor could be approved as soon as the Feb. 28 town board meeting. 

If town officials approve a contract on Feb. 28, both blighted homes could be demolished as early as March.

Smithtown resident Doreen Paladino told town officials the 30 Helen Avenue has been empty since it partly burned down on Oct. 31, 2008 at Jan. 8 town board meeting. 

"It is not acceptable that I cannot enjoy use of my property, there's loss of enjoyment on my property. The site is horrendous to look at," Paladino said before town board.

The 7 Hadley Drive in Smithtown, whose owners by Richard and Maria Collaro, have not appeared or reached out to town officials throughout.

In June 2011, Smithtown officials started the process of addressing the town's blighted properties as councilmen Robert Creighton, Kevin Malloy and Edward Wehrheim forming a master list of 19 properties considered blighted in the town. These are among the first properties on that list for which the town has held public hearings on.

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