Cassadaga pursues action against ‘zombie property’
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CASSADAGA -- The Village of Cassadaga has taken a step toward addressing a forsaken property in the Village.
At a recent meeting of the Village Board of Trustees, the Board authorized Village Attorney Joe Calimeri to file a violation of code motion in the Town of Stockton Court against the owner of 72 Lakeview Ave.
Village Trustee Cindy Flaherty said of the property, "It has been an eyesore in the village for years."
The 72 Lakeview Ave. property has received multiple code violations from the Village, with no response. As highlighted by the Village Board, the roof of the property has begun to cave in and several trees appear close to falling.
Village Trustee Cathy Cruver said, "The way that some of those pine trees have tipped over, if things start to crack ... somebody could get hurt."
As the process could become costly for taxpayers if the Village were to clean up the property itself or to acquire the property with public funds, the Board sought the opinion of Calimeri. He has also recently begun to represent the Town of Sheridan with its own forsaken property, the former Pawn Starz location on Route 20, which burned down in a fire in the summer of 2022. Calimeri explained the similarities in the process for each "zombie property" to the Board.
"There are so many issues, and I hate to sound like a broken record, but they are expensive. Zombie properties are expensive," Calimeri said.
Also related to cleaning things up, the Village has responded to violations cited by the New York State Department of Labor back in late October. Of the three violations cited, two of the three were quickly remediated. The third violation required an implementation of procedures regarding lockout/tagout and storage. After receiving an extension, the Village has met the deadline for remediation.
"There is still work to be done to implement the actual locks and tags. This will be an ongoing process," Mayor Bill Dorman said.
Another issue of cleanliness was raised at the recent meeting, as well. The Village Board urged residents to follow the Village's local law regarding dog leashes and waste disposal. The Board has received complaints of dog waste being left around the Village in recent months. The local law is available online and with the Village Clerk's office. Residents were also urged to dispose of their piles of sticks and branches at the Ellery Landfill.
Residents also inquired about the Village's capabilities to monitor speed of vehicles electronically, which would require data records to be maintained by the Village. The process was described as expensive and time consuming, with no action taken.
Flaherty and Deputy Clerk Roxanne Astry recently attended a virtual meeting regarding NY Forward Grants. The Village will continue to seek grant funding for future projects. Flaherty and Astry scheduled a meeting on March 18 at 7 p.m. in the community room to receive public input regarding projects to eye for grant funding in the future.
The Cassadaga Fire Department is also seeking grant funding to purchase cleaning equipment to remove harmful toxins from the gear worn by firefighters at the scene of a fire.
The Village also continues to make progress on the Bathhouse at the Beach project, as Department of Public Works Supervisor Sam Alaimo and Deputy Mayor Bill Astry have emptied cement blocks from the structure. Flaherty responded to criticism of the Village's use of volunteers for the project, which has the potential for injury, by thanking volunteers for their work in the Village and that the Village does not ever intend to put any volunteers in danger.
"We rely heavily on volunteerism," Flaherty said. "Volunteerism supports community, teamwork, and a sense of pride."