Description
The scaffolding has been there for over 10 years and now is endangering The community. Pieces of rusted scaffolding have been found on the sidewalk and the school playground. Do we have to wait for somebody get killed until LCI seriously stop this insanity.
85 Comments
Larry (Registered User)
Larry (Registered User)
關閉 Larry (Registered User)
Larry (Registered User)
Linda B (Guest)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
LCI has been in contact with the Building Department who has jurisdiction over construction projects.
They will contact the owner about this matter.
Reopened Larry (Registered User)
Kam Lasater (Registered User)
Justin Elicker (Guest)
LCI is looking to address this situation and reaching out to the property owner tomorrow. Everyone is right that the scaffolding has been up far too long. It's time to address this situation.
Justin Elicker
Ward 10 Alderman
justin.elicker@gmail.com
Larry (Registered User)
Justin Elicker (Registered User)
Hi Larry.
LCI has said that now they may have more leverage because it is a safety issue. The problem is that the ordinance allows the property owner to keep up the scaffolding as long as he is making progress with the construction. I'm looking at our ability to change the ordinance. Clearly there has been almost no progress with construction but unfortunately that is difficult to prove. This issue has been going on long enough however that I don't plan on dropping it. Please keep commenting on this thread as we pick up pressure on the property owner to address the building.
Justin Elicker
Ward 10 Alderman
justin.elicker@gmail.com
IrishGuy71 (Guest)
Larry (Registered User)
not only there has been no progress with the construction but actually the house is in worst shape than ever. I spoke with one of the tenants that was leaving in the property and she explained to me that it was a disaster inside to. She did not feel safe in the apartment and she left after asking the owner to fix several things several times. Again where was LCI?
Justin Elicker (Registered User)
The owners of this dilapidated property are John Cusick and Wendy S. Reed. Their address is 16 Bethmour Road, Bethany, CT 06524. Second address: 188 Nicoll Street (perhaps another property they own?).
The building department sent a letter to the property owner yesterday to take the scaffolding down because it is dangerous. It will be passed on to the City's Corporation Counsel to pursue legal action.
We'll keep on this.
Justin Elicker
Ward 10 Alderman
justin.elicker@gmail.com
Larry (Registered User)
Justin Elicker (Registered User)
Thanks Larry. If you can, could you put the tenant who you spoke with in contact with me? We can then get LCI to inspect the inside of the property as well.
Justin Elicker
Ward 10 Alderman
justin.elicker@gmail.com
Larry (Registered User)
She will contact you shortly via email and you can give her your cell to call you.
Anna (Registered User)
Celeste (Registered User)
School Staff (Guest)
Thank you for your efforts to address our concerns. I have worked at W. Hooker School for 6 years and the situation is the same since then. We have found pieces of rusted scaffolding on the sidewalk and the school playground, and our students are not allowed to play on that side of the school because we fear that the scaffolding could collapse at any time. As you mentioned previously, there has been almost no progress with construction, on the contrary, the scaffolding has been deteriorating causing a safety issue. As always, thank you so much for your help.
School Staff 2 (Guest)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
Based on Larry's request here: http://www.seeclickfix.com/issues/392601 I am posting an update about this matter:
The owner has 14 days from today to remove the scaffolding based on the letter sent from the Building Department that was served by CT State Marshall. A letter was sent in February but was returned to the City because it was served on a tenant not the owner.
Feel free to contact Carmen Mendez, LCI Neighborhood Specialist at 203.946.7733 about this matter.
Larry (Registered User)
Reopened Larry (Guest)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
Our staff is working with the City of New Haven Legal Department (Corporation Counsel).
We will provide an update shortly.
Feel free to contact Carmen Mendez, LCI Neighborhood Specialist at 203.946.7733 about this matter.
Larry (Registered User)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
A site visit was conducted by LCI & the Building Department.
The owner is hopeful to finish this project by the beginning of winter.
The owner has a lot of work to do to get there. We are hopeful the scaffolding will be moved to the rear of the property in the next 90 days.
LCI is sending out a violation Notice for Anti Blight.
Feel free to contact Carmen Mendez, LCI Neighborhood Specialist at 203.946.7733 about this matter.
Canner St. homeowner (Guest)
Larry (Registered User)
Larry (Registered User)
應答 LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
The owner has informed our office that work will begin in May 2013 on or about May 10th. Materials are on order.
We will be watching to make sure there is progress over the summer.
Anna (Guest)
Justin Elicker (Registered User)
Hi everyone,
I am frustrated with this issue. In my opinion, the city should give people a second chance, but not more. This property owner has had more than fair warning and the city should begin to enforce the anti blight ordinance. I will continue to push the city to address this issue.
Justin Elicker
Ward 10 Alderman
justin.elicker@gmail.com
Canner St. homeowner (Guest)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
@ Canner St Homeowner
You are correct this is an active case
Canner St. homeowner (Guest)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
FYI,
this is not Carmen....I am the LCI Watcher.
The building department letter is a separate matter.
Our antiblight fine started April 21, 2013.
Justin Elicker (Registered User)
Just to explain this a bit further, the property owner will be fined $100 a day but LCI has the right to waive these fines if the property owner fixes the issue. In other words, if the property owner is showing progress on cleaning up the house and keeping the timeline that LCI has given them, LCI may waive the fine. But if the property owner isn't making progress, LCI will fine them.
I have a disagreement with LCI on how aggressively they should enforce the timeline on this property, but ultimately there should be movement on this property soon. Please keep commenting on this issue with any progress or lack of progress that you see.
Justin Elicker
Candidate for Mayor
justin.elicker@elicker2013.com
East Rock Taxpayer (Guest)
Larry (Registered User)
FairHavenRes (Registered User)
East Rock Taxpayer (Guest)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
The information reported above is correct. The fine is $100 per day beginning after the 10th day following notice. No money is collected until a lien is recorded (90 days from from the Civil Citation) at which point legal action may occur to collect the fine ( foreclosure).
Please understand we want the house repaired too.....We understand your desire for movement on this matter and we will be on top of this matter until it is resolved. Our goal is for there to be progress and the owner has committed to begin this rehabilitation.
If there is no progress there will be legal action 100%!
Canner St. homeowner (Guest)
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/2_eyesore_owners_pledge_progess/
Please explain.
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
I recently took on this issue because of comments on See Click Fix.
As you point out the owner has not been able to move this forward for some period of time. This issue was previously seen as a Building Department issue in the eyes of many.
Based on the comments here (SCF) I wanted to act upon the neighbors complaints. I have only been involved in this issue since February of this year.
This is an active Anti-Blight case and I will see this through ....... I will not drop the ball on this one!
I can not explain events of the past....BUT......I can promise that I am committed to seeing this matter resolved.
Larry (Registered User)
Larry (Guest)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
Larry,
Every day the fine increases by $100.......
There is the end of May update:
* The owner has requested a hearing before the Anti-Blight Hearing Officer ( Date to be scheduled for June 2013)
* Owner claims materials on order
* Owner reports cleaning yard
Larry (Registered User)
Larry (Guest)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
The owner is working on this property. Major carpentry will begin shortly. The owner has informed LCI of a timeline whereby the beginning of school most of the scaffolding on the side of school driveway will be removed ( except the corners). All scaffolding will be removed by the end of November.
We will continue to monitor this property.
Celeste (Guest)
Larry (Registered User)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
Please be fair and fell free to vent.
There is a lot to be done here.
It will get done ...this is the start of the project.
If it makes you feel better please feel free to contact us directly at 2039467090.
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
The scaffolding issue:
The owner plans to continue doing work on the corners of the house until winter arrives.
We asked that the scaffolding be removed as soon as possible.
local friend of East Rock (Guest)
as someone who knows a lot about this area I understand the frustration that this matter has dragged on but be fair after 15 years of nothing the city is involved working with the owner to get this complete let's hope it does.
it seems like in the last year LC I has really got their game together I understand this is slow maybe not as fast as all of us around here would like to but at least we have a warm body that we can contact and say hey what's the status and according to this website they do provide status updates so that's a good thing
it's easy to kick a man when he's down as I can see from these comments what's really sad to me is that no one is offering to help no one is posting does anybody know this neighbor how can we help does he have a hardship is he sick or is he broke is he in foreclosure is he mentally ill?
as the elite of New Haven in our high end neighborhood we need to set an example of how a community can really resolved issues I understand it is unsightly but it does not appear to be unsafe it just appears to be a long-standing issue a project like this needs time to be resolved and if this thing is cleaned up within the next 18 months I will consider that acceptable given that for 15 years this has been at a standstill.
lastly I just have to say even though I don't know who any of you posters are I can say that some of you clearly want to have someone to be your punching bag whether the owner or lci. that is very easy convenient but the truth is up until recently this issue was pretty much a construction project gone wrong now we have a situation where the government is holding this man's hand to make sure the house is repaired thus if the house is not repaired the proverbial ball has been dropped currently this is a construction site and historic restoration takes time if you want a crappy product to look at everyday I'm sure we can knock on the owners door and tell him to just put lipstick on this pig and get the scaffolding down.
if you need to explain to your kids anything about the situation its that sometimes people have hardships in life instead of criticizing them we need to engage them to find out if we as neighbors in members of the community can help them in any way I'm certainly not suggesting anyone bankroll this man unless you wanted to hold paper on a mortgage because we all know if this house were fixed up as a 4 or 6 family house it would probably be worth well over $1,000,000 so to all of the hateful posters on this thread I hear you it is total BS that this has dragged on so long there's plenty of blame to go all around the owner the city former alders current alders current legislation former legislation you name it we can all come up with red herring arguments and blame anyone we want but that's not going to solve this problem what's going to solve this problem. The owner is doing work which takes time and as we can all sense will not be completed by winter I'm sure the scaffolding will go back up next spring and more work will continue ....progress takes time enough venting...mmmmm
Celeste (Guest)
Larry (Registered User)
Larry (Registered User)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
Larry,
The owner is doing work along that side of the house ( on the corners and along the entire run of scaffolding) and will work until winter arrives.
We asked that the scaffolding be removed when the school year begins, the owner will remove most of it except the corners. All of the scaffolding will come down for the winter..
I understand your frustration at the pace of this project.
Our goal is to work with the owner and see this through to completion.
Larry (Registered User)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
The owner continues to slowly rebuild rotted portions of the roof and gable.
He will continue to work until winter.
concerned resident (Guest)
Celeste (Registered User)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
LCI continues to track this property as it gets rehabilitated.
Please understand the goal is to have a finished "restored" home.
The owner has been slowly making progress. The scaffolding is unsightly and we regret that it was not completely dismantled due to the snowy winter.This issue is moving towards being resolved & completed. The owner does not have unlimited time to complete this project.
Up to this point the owner has showed a "good faith" effort in coming into compliance with our Orders by fixing the exterior of this house. That said, we understand that harsh winters will slow the progress of any project. The owner has committed to complete this project this year (2014). We plan to hold his feet to the fire.
We started this Anti-Blight action on behalf of the neighborhood because the condition of the house was unacceptable. The house is being repaired and a lot more work will will occur shortly.
Celeste,
"wondering where exactly the ball is now?" Please consider this Winter Intermission / half time .
The project will move forward in the spring.
East Rock Tax "over" payer resident (Guest)
WAS THIS DONE?... NO!
Celeste (Registered User)
Larry (Registered User)
Larry (Registered User)
Larry (Registered User)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
Larry,
As you can see the property is being fixed. The scaffolding being moved to a new section highlights that the owner is making progress.
The owner continues to work and LCI continues to track this matter.
Repairs are being made in good faith. This is not a failure for LCI. This is how matters get resolved. It would be a failure if nothing occurred since your post in February of 2013. Please see my post from 5/6/13. I have been visiting the site to keep the focus on moving towards completion.
Please allow the process to continue as this matter moves towards completion.
Larry (Registered User)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
Larry,
The process shall run until completion. As long as the owner works in "good faith" and makes progress we move towards completion. The house is in better condition now and shall be better as time goes on. There is not an "ultimatum".....as long as work is on going and progress continues. The owner is not "playing games" and understands that many eyes are on this matter and is working on the property......Please understand LCI will make it to the finish line. Thus, "The bottom line is that "the process" is taking too long" is unfortunate but understandable.
Larry (Registered User)
Aly (Registered User)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
Good morning,
The property owner continues to repair this property. It is looking better day by day.
Larry (Registered User)
Celeste (Registered User)
Larry (Registered User)
Celeste (Registered User)
East Rock Resident (Registered User)
Larry (Registered User)
Independently of the they have been absent in our Neighbour. They usually chase good taxpayer because easy targets and allow delinquents to endanger the community. Just terrible!
Larry (Registered User)
This is pure BLIGHT!!!!
Larry (Registered User)
LCI Citywide Helper (Verified Official)
We are aware that progress has been slow, but the property is being repaired. The scaffolding has been removed from the school area (which was the original concern).
The owner will continue to repair this home over the next few months.
Thank you