Brookhaven demolishes three abandoned homes in North Bellport

Brookhaven Town has knocked down a trio of vacant North Bellport homes with a history of code violations.

Officials said the houses, two demolished last week and a third torn down Tuesday, had been vacant and had a long history of violations for property maintenance and other issues.

"We can celebrate as yet another blighted property is removed from the community," Town Councilwoman Connie Kepert, who represents the area, said in a statement referring to the second house.

The homes were demolished under Chapter 73 of the Brookhaven Town Code, which provides a "fast track" to get rid of unsafe structures.

Town Supervisor Edward P. Romaine said he wants to continue removing eyesores from North Bellport.

"North Bellport is plagued with a high number of vacant, unsafe houses and we will continue to demolish them to help improve the quality of life in the community," Romaine said in a statement.

The address of the first house was 2 Anthony St. Kepert said the second property, at 955 Walker Ave., was once filled with garbage and other debris. The home torn down Tuesday was at 547 Bellport Ave.

In December 2013, the town created a vacant building registry requiring owners of vacant properties to register with the town by providing contact information of the person responsible for maintaining the property.

Failure to register within 30 days of vacancy could mean fines of up to $15,000, officials said.

Last year, the town created a mobile application for residents to report vacant homes and commercial properties.

Residents can go to brookhaven.org/vacanthouse to report the properties. They can also call 631-451-8696, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.