MAYVILLE — An unmaintained commercial parcel could be in the hands of Busti town officials, if county legislators give their approval at next week’s meeting.

The tax-foreclosed property is located on Fairmount Avenue in Busti, adjacent to Big Tree Soft Serve. This week, legislators on the Administrative Services and Audit and Control committees approved an offer from the town over the current owner to acquire the parcel for $7,152.09. Taxes owed on the property total $7,151.18

Jeff Swanson, Busti code enforcement officer, told legislators this week that numerous citations have been filed against the property. With residential homes and a business nearby, he said the unmaintained property could become an issue.

“If you were trying to pull out from First Avenue, you can’t even see vehicles coming from the east,” he said. “You have residential properties that are near there, but also another thing I look at is you have the ice cream store that is located right next door. The possibility of feral cats and other wild animals with children is there.”

Jim Caflisch, county real property tax director, told legislators that county law allows municipalities to place an offer on foreclosed properties.

“They asked for the property in tax foreclosure and they’re looking to bring it code,” he said.

P.J. Wendel, county legislator who represents the Busti area, said the situation hasn’t improve in multiple years.

“This property has not been touched (for) I can’t tell you how many years,” he said. “I’ve lived in that area for 30 years. I helped to move things out when that building was sold and nothing has been done to it since then.”

Bob Scudder, Administrative Services Committee chairman, said there’s a good case for the town to obtain the property.

“I think that we have a unique case here and I think the best result for the people of Chautauqua County is to give it to the town of Busti,” he said.

Joel Seachrist, attorney representing Busti, said property is at the gateway to the town and village of Lakewood, and town officials would like to put up a sign.

“We haven’t designed it yet but that’s an ideal location for it,” he said. “We would make sure that took place and then follow our policy for selling property.”

If the transfer of ownership is approved, town officials say they would begin to cleanup the property immediately.