Brookhaven Town demolishes fire-damaged house in Medford

A fire-damaged Medford house has been demolished by the Town of Brookhaven.

The vacant one-story house on John Roe Smith Avenue was torn down on April 16 after town engineers deemed it unsafe. The cost of the demolition will be added to the tax bill of the home's owner, who previously has been cited for property maintenance violations, town officials said.

The property owner also was cited for an unfenced swimming pool and illegal apartments, officials said.

Councilwoman Connie Kepert said in a statement that the house "has been a nuisance to the surrounding neighborhood for many years."

In a statement, Supervisor Edward P. Romaine said town officials will "continue to crack down on property owners who do not maintain their vacant houses and demolish them if necessary."

The Medford house was one of 12 unsafe structures targeted for demolition last year by town officials. Brookhaven officials said nine of those homes so far have been razed. Three more are expected to be demolished by the end of the year.