Residents seek action at Belden Center

By Benjamin Joe

Action for Belden Center neighbors seems to have taken shape after three residents approached the Town of Niagara Board about vacant buildings in their neighborhood at the town’s regular business meeting on Tuesday, May 20.

Sheila Finnegan, Lorie Mountain and Sue Curtis aired their complaints to the board, saying there are several vacant buildings in Belden Center that are allegedly dangerous, eyesores, and supposedly attracting rodents to the neighborhood.

Finnegan asked the town officials, “At what point does the town say, ‘Enough!’ and make these owners take care of their properties? What is the recourse on these owners? And why we as land owners have to look at this and I have to take care of my property? If I stop taking care of my property, will the town come and mow my grass?”

Finnegan also noted that, while assessments had gone up, the vacant properties were detrimental to any sale of property near them.

Supervisor Sylvia Virtuoso was sympathetic to the neighbors’ concerns, but said as long as the taxes are paid and the houses are not condemned, there’s little the town can do. However, she said she would try to find a solution.

“We’ll send somebody out. We’ll see what can be done. And you know, I truly understand how you feel,” she said to the three residents.

Since the meeting, one of the houses has been condemned. Virtuoso said five letters have gone out to owners of other vacant properties, and the town will be working with them to rehabilitate the structures – though that is a lengthy process.

“It didn’t happen overnight,” Virtuoso said of the situation. “And it’s not going to be cleaned up overnight.”

In a ride around her neighborhood, Finnegan identified several houses in Belden Center that are vacant and seemingly unkept, some with sagging rooftops and one with no floors. At one property, she said she’d like to buy it and knock down the house, because she believed it was causing some of the rodent issues that she and her family had to endure.

Finnegan said that, since the meeting, the town has been active in the area.

“I have been in touch with our supervisor, and the town is moving forward,” she said, as well as pointing out several well-groomed homes.

“You can see we all take care of our houses! Except for stuff like that (the vacant houses), Belden Center is a great place,” Finnegan said.