Smithtown Officials Consider Cleaning Up Hightower Homes, Fairview Ave

Residents will have the chance to ask Town of Smithtown officials to cleanup on Hightower homes in Kings Park and Fairview Avenue in Smithtown this Tuesday. 

Smithtown Town Board will begin the process of requiring the Hightower Homes and 10 Fairview Avenue owners to clean up their blighted properties that have gained a reputation as local eyesores.

In June 2011, Smithtown officials started the process of addressing the town's blighted properties as councilmen Robert Creighton, Kevin Malloy and Edward Wehrheim forming a master list of 19 properties considered blighted in the town. 

“We’re not looking to take them all on at once, but we’re dealing with the ones that seem to get more attention like on Fairview [Avenue] and Hightower [Homes],” said Town Attorney John Zollo told Patch last month. “We’re getting phone calls from residents about the conditions.” 

Public hearings on thes properties are the first step of procedure outlined under town code that starts with a public hearing on the specific property to be cleaned. 

The Hightower Homes, located at 77 and 81 West Main Street in Kings Park, were targeted on the Sept. 20 town board meeting agenda where the board approved the town attorney’s office to start the process that will rid the properties of brush, grass, weeds and garbage that violate the town code.

Similarly, the home at 10 Fairview Avenue in Smithtown was listed to have the town attorney’s office pursue the removal of solid waste, garbage and graffiti that violates town code.

If the properties are not cleaned up within 72 hours, the town may enter the property to clean it up, make repairs and then bill the property owner. 

In addition to these public hearings, Smithtown officials will be voting on whether to approve Lowe's plans to demolish the former Commack Multiplex Cinemas to build a 166,000-square-foot retail store in its place.