Descrição
14 Oakwood ave has been an eyesore in the otherwise blight free neighborhood. This is the only boarded up building on the entire street.
The city foreclosed on the property for back taxes about 2 years ago. Prior to that, the city kept taking the owner to court to force him to do something about the dilapidated building. He paid many fines but never did anything to the property.
Now, the city of Troy owns it and they won't even "pretty up" the facade like they were trying to force the previous owner to do!
Since it is wide open on both sides (doors and windows open), the building is filled with feral cats, skunks, gophers and other wildlife. Not to mention that it is has become a "playroom" for the most of the neighborhood kids. Eventually, someone is going to get hurt and the city is going to get sued.
If the city won't do the right thing for the neighborhood and demolish this building... they should at least board it up securely and paint the facade, remove all the weeds and trees etc etc etc. Make it presentable.
20 Comentários
city owned 14 oakwood ave - blight (Visitante)
tim (Visitante)
Is the troy city council really watching this complaint? Has any of the council members driven by 14 oakwood ave lately? The city owned building should be demolished or at least the facade made to look nicer.
If anyone but the city owned this building, code enforcement would be taking them to court and fining them.
Come on city council members... make the city fix this eyesore.
The Dartlady (Visitante)
pooly (Visitante)
The Dartlady (Visitante)
bugsy (Visitante)
The city did come and cut the weeds at 14 Oakwood Ave but they didn't board up the building. The door on the left side of the building & the window on the the right side of the building are both are wide open and at ground level. Animals and people enter & exit often.
When the previous owner owned this building, Troy code enforcement took him to court and was trying to force him to paint the front of the building to make it more presentable. He never did comply with their orders.
Now that Troy owns the building, I'm hoping code enforcement will see fit to paint the front of the building like it was trying to force the previous owner to do.
I know if anyone else owned this property, code enforcement would be all over them to make repairs. It's only fair that Troy now make the repairs because they own the property.
If Troy would just board it up and paint the facade... there will be nothing left to complain about.
sam (Visitante)
wilson (Visitante)
The property has been cleared of the over-grown bush. It has also been submitted to TNAC's Vacant Buildings Committee for consideration for a pilot project being put together.
Can anyone say what, if any outcome TNAC came up with for this property?
The city did come and chop down the weeds and mow the tiny lawn. That took all of 15 minutes.
They did not board the building up or do anything about the hideous facade. The building is still wise open on both sides.
A few years ago code enforcement was taking the previous owner to court to make him paint the facade and make it less of a property value killing, eyesore.
Why hasn't the city painted the facade since it owns the property now?
wilson (Visitante)
The city did board up the building and trim the bushes from the sidewalk. Thanks for that.
However, the dilapidated, run-down, city owned property still detracts from the neighborhood and lowers everyone's property values.
If 14 Oakwood Ave is allowed to slowly decay & fall down around itself... it won't be long before Oakwood Ave. looks like 10th Street.
Like a cancerous tumor, it needs to be removed before the blight spreads.
wilson (Visitante)
wilson (Visitante)
To the DARTLADY - do you know when this foreclosure auction (that Councilman McGrath mentioned in the Troy Record article months ago) is supposed to take place? It's been scheduled and then canceled for 2-3 years in a row.
Does TNAC have any plans for 14 Oakwood Ave?
THANKS for your insight.
D0N (Visitante)
Can anyone verify that 14 Oakwood Ave is going to be demolished soon?
The utility company tore up the sidewalk in front of the building and unhooked all utilities about 2 weeks ago.
Ni-mo workers on scene said they only do this when a property is going to be demolished.
Any insight would be appreciated.
thank you
Sam (Utilizador Registado)
A neighbor (Visitante)
Update:
The building has been boarded up & full of debris for 6+ years. If you've ever seen the TV show "Hoarders", this house looks like that on the inside. I assume it is a major fire hazard.
In April of 2011, Councilman McGrath convinced the DPW to clean the building out. Two DPW workers filled one large dumpster and one pick up truck and then the cleanout effort stopped. I think they realized the enormous scope of the job, decided it wasn't worth cleaning out and gave up. I really don't know why they stopped cleaning it out?
Soon after the clean out stopped, the DPW workers removed most of the scrap metal from the property. This included the big, heavy, iron heating registers you see in so many of these old houses. By removing the heating system, they made the property even less sellable than it was before.
Now the building sits, boarded up and fairly full of debris. I assume it's still a major fire hazard and a serious health hazard due to the moldy, rotting smell eminating from it.
In May of 2011, I personally spoke with Russ Reeves about the property. He agreed that the property should be demolished. He said the city fund that pays for demolitions is currently empty but he expeected the fund to be replenished in the fall of 2011. At that time he said he would order the demolition. Russ sounded very sincere so I think the neighborhood can expect the eyesore to finally be dealt with this fall.
Thanks to all involved.
Neighbor (Visitante)
Fall is here! I am excited about the fact that according to Russ Reeves, 14 oakwood ave is supposed to finally be demolished this fall season.
15 months ago the Troy Record did a story about this property.
http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2010/07/25/news/doc4c4bc49257f75900934636.txt
Since then, the utility company removed the concrete sidewalk, dug down and permanently disconnected the gas, water, sewer, electric and cable TV.
The city workers took 1 dumpster and 2 pick up truck loads of junk out of the 1st floor. They also hauled all the metal that was inside (plumbing, heating etc) away to the scrap yard. They were going to empty the entire building but stopped after they realized the enormous scope of the job. It is still nearly full of junk left by the previous owner/s.
No other work was done. The roof still has huge holes in it. Rain leaks in and soaks all the debris inside the building. The property reeks of mold and mildew all the time. The back wall has holes in it. It has faulty rain gutters, broken windows and more.
14 Oakwood Ave is the only boarded up building ont he entire street so it really stands out like a sore thumb. It drags down the neighborhood and kills nearby property values. I hope it gets demolished this fall.
Needs (Visitante)
Maybe the Troy Record Newspaper could do a follow up story on this quality of life/property value issue?
It's been 1.5 years since it did the first story and nothing has changed.
http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2010/07/25/news/doc4c4bc49257f75900934636.txt
Needs (Visitante)
Fall is quickly fading into winter. It seems that Russ Reeves was just placating me back in May 2011 when he said the building would be demolished in the fall.
This dilapidated building was in the recent city of Troy foreclosure auction and got no bids. Not even 1 dollar. This is the third foreclosure auction it has been in with no bids.
I have spoken with many prospective buyers that come to look at the building. They all say the same thing... "it wouldn't be cost effectove to rehab". This is especially true since the utility company ripped up the sidewalk, dug down 8 feet and permenantly disconnected the sewer, water and gas lines to ready the building for demolition. It would cost a new owner a small fortune just to have the utilities reconnected.
Instead of demolishing the eyesore (or fixing it up), the city has has placed it in a "private sale" along with 80 other properties that didn't receive any bids in past foreclosure auctions.
http://troyny.gov/foreclosuresprivatesale.html
This ongoing private sale looks like a last ditch effort for the city to shirk its responsibilities it has to its tax paying citizens. We're not asking for something the city didn't DEMANDED from 14 Oakwood aves previous owner. The property has been boarded up for 7+ years. It's time to fix it up or demolish it.
Don (Visitante)
This property value killing, eyesore is still sitting vacant, semi-boarded up and 1/2 full of moldy garbage and junk.
It's a-l-m-o-s-t comical that back in December of 2011, the city chose to spend the funds to demolish the building directly behind 14 Oakwood Ave... 388 10th street.
Why is it comical?
Because right now there are still at least 5 other boarded up buildings on that block of 10th St.
Razing 1 of 6 boarded up buildings on a street where's there's little traffic and almost everyone is a renter is NOT going to make a significant difference in the neighborhood or property values.
However, razing the ONLY boarded up building, that's surrounded mostly by tax paying homeowners, on a MUCH busier street WOULD make an immediate and significant difference in the quality of life for the residents and the 1000's of commuters travelling Oakwood Ave. on a daily basis.
I try to remain positive and patient but after 7 years of inactivity and nonchalance, it's not easy.
Don (Visitante)
For those that aren't aware, 14 Oakwood Ave. (and the now vacant lot behind it - 388 10th st.) was sold for $500 total via private sale in March. The city council approved the sale at their meeting on 4/5/12. The new owner also owns Legends tattoo parlor on 5th ave in Troy. From what I understand, the property will be owner occupied. "Progress" on the buildings rehabilitation must be shown within 6 months of the sale or the city can use the reverter clause to reclaim the property.
I want to thank Ken Zalewski for keeping myself (& the neighborhood) updated on this long drawn out situation. We need more caring city council members like Ken.
Encerradas slowbutsure (Visitante)