War On Blight Continues In Mastic; House Razed

MASTIC BEACH, NY — The fierce war on blight waged on in Mastic Beach as a falling down structure, located at 719 Riviera Drive, was demolished Tuesday morning, according to Brookhaven Town Councilman Dan Panico.

Panico posted a photo of the derelict home on his Facebook page and promised that another structure, 136 Riviera, would be coming down next week.

He also said that the town board would discuss, at its town board meeting on Thursday, setting a public hearing on the demolition and clean up of another blighted property on Beaver Drive.

The board has been actively seeking to rid the landscape of the area of burned out, blighted parcels.

In April, a burned out "zombie house" that's long been an eyesore in the Mastic Beach community was torn down, officials said.

On April 10, Brookhaven Town Councilman Dan Panico and Suffolk County Legislator and Mastic Fire Chief Rudy Sunderman were at the site for the razing of the house, located at 176 Maywood Road in Mastic Beach.

The house, which sustained major damage from fires over the past three years, was deemed a dangerous nuisance in the neighborhood and sparked a public outcry from residents.

The building was demolished by the Brookhaven Town department of recycling and sustainable materials management, in accordance with Chapter 73 of the town code which provides a "fast track" to remove unsafe structures from neighborhoods, town officials said.

The property owner will be responsible for cost of demolition and debris removal; the town places a lien on the property, which is then placed on the tax bill. Meanwhile, Suffolk County reimburses the town for costs; the funds are then collected from the property owner.

"We are dedicated and have committed to cleaning up and making Mastic Beach the beautiful waterfront community that it should be," Panico said. "As each of these houses come down, property values rise and we take another step forward to achieving the quality of life that residents deserve."

Not only will Brookhaven Town investigators be keeping an eye out for similar issues,

"Residents will also be seeing a great number of bulldozers and other heavy equipment in the area as we will continue to remove this suburban decay for a brighter future," he said.

Also in April the former Dairy Barn on William Floyd Parkway commenced, Panico said, with a list of others under consideration by the town board for demolition.

Patch courtesy photo.