Slowly, Signs Of New Life For Pawcatuck Building

For years the building at 2-4 Mechanic St., in downtown Pawcatuck has sat empty falling ever more into disrepair until this week.

Workers were spotted outside the building owned by Stephen Vacca of Branford, Conn. ., confirmed work had started on the building with the first priority being to fix and repair a window.

In December of 2010 The Day reported that after years of trying to Vacca to make repairs the town planned to being fining him $100 a day.

The building was just one of a number of buildings including the neighboring , that the town citied as violating the blight ordinance.

The since it was adopted in the summer of 2010. Basically it allows the zoning enforcement official to issue an order requiring a property owner to comply with zoning regulations and if the owner disagrees they can appeal to the zoning board of appeals, which will stay or halt the order. Then the town would hold a hearing at which time the board can uphold, reverse, or change/modify the order. That decision can then be appealed in Superior Court. A violation of a zoning enforcement officer order can result in a fine of up to $2,500 as well as local penalties of up to $150 for every day the property is in violation of the order.

Haberek said the progress on the Vacca building was one indication that ordinance is working.

“It’s been a back and forth,” Haberek said of the blight ordinance and Vacca’s appeals. “It’s definitely working. “We’ve been working hard on this [the Vacca building] for two and half years.”

Vacca will have another citation review on April 13 at which time the town will evaluate the work that has been done and issue additional orders of work if needed.

Haberek said he has been in touch with three businesses that were interested in moving into the space and that at least two of them said they had trouble getting in touch with Vacca.