Center Moriches, Mastic buildings eyed for demolition by Brookhaven

A boarded-up house in Center Moriches and a shuttered auto repair shop in Mastic may be demolished if their owners fail to comply with building code regulations, Brookhaven Town officials said.

Officials said in a news release both properties are “significant public nuisances” that have been deteriorating for years. The town board on Feb. 25 approved a plan to demolish the structures if their owners don’t come into compliance or tear down the buildings themselves within 30 business days.

“Houses like these have a detrimental impact on our residential communities, and residents who take pride in caring for their homes deserve better,” Councilman Dan Panico said in a statement. “We have taken an aggressive stand against these blighted structures and will continue, one by one, to rid our neighborhoods of such nuisances.”

The vacant Center Moriches house, on Mickel Avenue, has been boarded up by town authorities three times since 2012. An abandoned in-ground pool is not properly fenced in, and the house is infested with fleas and animal feces, officials said.

“When dilapidated, unsafe houses are demolished, it has an immediate, positive impact on the quality of life in the neighborhood,” Supervisor Edward P. Romaine said in a statement.

The Mastic site, on Patchogue Avenue, includes several buildings that have been cited for numerous violations of town and state building and fire codes, town officials said. They said the state Department of Environmental Conservation will be asked to investigate suspected oil contamination.