What's That Building Doing Here?

It's creepy and it's kooky, but even the members of "The Addams Family" would probably think twice about occupying 1070 Port Washington Boulevard.

"I don't know much about the building, but there's definitely rodent activity in the lot," said Mitch Vidur, an exterminator with Green Tech Exterminating and Pest Control.  

The building and its lot are surrounded by Inter-Marble, Bills Automotive Repair, and Gail's Stride-Rite.

"While it doesn't affect my business, that building is infested with rats, we have complaints in with the Board of Health," said Frank Petriello, of Gail's Stride Rite at Nine Main Street. "I've worked here since the eighties, and moved here about a year ago and I've never seen such an eyesore. At night, it looks the ground is moving with so many rats running around the property. Being a kid's shoe store, I don't need rats running around my building."

Yet the controversy surrounding this building and property, owned by the Shields family, which owns Shields Hardware, may be resolved soon.

"Right now we're working on something with the Town of North Hempstead, but I don't wish to comment any further at this time," said Kevin Sheilds, owner of Sheilds Hardware.

"The Town has been negotiating with the owner of the property since the latter part of 2009 to find an appropriate use of the property including the removal of the house currently situated on that property.  We anticipate a resolution to these negotiations in the coming months," said Sid Nathan, Town of North Hempstead's public information officer.

But the resolution may not come soon enough for nearby business owners.

A recent notice posted on the building's door from the Town of North Hempstead, stated, 'Violation of Chapter 34 – Littering and Dumping. Litter, trash or garbage on private property – wood, brick/stones, misc. debris/garbage in the rear of the house. Must keep clean.'

"I don't understand how the town could let that building go," Petriello said.