Center Moriches home deemed unsafe is pulled down

A Brookhaven-contracted demolition crew last weekend tore down a blighted Center Moriches home that town officials said posed a danger to firefighters and community residents.

The home, at 267 Railroad Ave., became a nuisance after a fire severely damaged it in 2009, Brookhaven officials said.

Following the blaze, the town obtained a State Supreme Court order to demolish the abandoned house.

After a building inspector assessed the home, the town hired an architect and engineer, both of whom deemed the home unsafe, officials said.

In addition, the Center Moriches Fire Department expressed its concern to town officials that the home was a nuisance and posed a danger to firefighters and residents.

“Working hard to remove blighted dangerous structures like this is another step in the process of eliminating eyesores and revitalizing our neighborhoods,” Brookhaven Town Councilman Dan Panico said in a statement.

Panico and the town’s Quality of Life Task Force cooperated in having the home torn down.

Brookhaven Town established the task force in June 2009 to enforce the town code, eliminate blight in neighborhoods and shut down suburban slumlords.

Since its inception, the task force has cracked down on “hundreds” of Brookhaven properties, town officials said.

Above: Brookhaven Town Councilman Dan Panico

“I will continue my efforts to rid our community of these dangerous eyesores and protect our property values by eliminating these attractive nuisances,” Panico said in the statement.