Tonawanda News — Town of Tonawanda Board members held a hearing on two vacant properties, 738 Parker Boulevard and 45-55 Pyle Court, at the body’s regular meeting Monday evening.

The town passed two resolutions to allow officials to enter the buildings on an emergency basis to ensure safety.

“This allows us the right to make sure it is secure,” Councilmember John Bargnesi Jr. said. “We can board it up better, mow the grass and enter during an emergency without waiting for a hearing. It won’t be manicured, but it will be safe.”

The hearing came after town officials received many complaints from neighbors surrounding the address due to the state of the property as well as a fire that broke out July 9. The cause was likely electrical and power to the house is now off, so Bargnesi said another similar fire shouldn’t occur. 

But about a dozen neighbors who attended the meeting remain worried another fire could start. 

“There are newspapers everywhere, and there is a likelihood of another fire,” Mary Daly, a daughter of the house’s next door neighbors said. “The houses are very close together, and with the overgrown shrubbery, they are basically connected. My parents are in their 80s, and they couldn’t get out of the house quickly if there was a fire.”

Daly also said the roof of the house is leaking and has mold issues, and that rats run rampant in the property. According to her and other neighbors, kids have broken into the house at night. 

“We have been trying to do something about this house for years,” Daly said. 

She was hoping town officials could at least enter the house to remove the paper, but Bargnesi said the town doesn’t have the authority to enter the house, and can only contract out to take care of the exterior issues. 

The bank can’t enter the home, either, as the foreclosure process has not been completed, so the bank doesn’t own the property yet. 

“Foreclosure takes a long time,” Deborah Gallo from Rosicki, Rosicki, and Associates, the firm representing the bank, said. “We hope to have a foreclosure sale in 8 or 9 months.”

Neighbors were upset with that timeframe, as the house has been vacant since at least April of 2010. 

“It’s a very nice block and there are very nice houses,” Bargnesi. “I hate to tell you, but at this point, there isn’t that much that we can do.” 

For now, the town will be able to mow and board up both properties, as well as remove the Parker Boulevard home’s garbage tote, which neighbors say is always full. 

The town board will hold a number of hearings at their next meeting Aug.  20, including discussing on the expansion of the sewer district and allowing 707 Kenmore Corp. to use the area for used car sales. In addition, a public meeting will be held on Phase Two of the Parker Fries Project Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. at Kenmore East High School.