Town of Niagara takes action on properties, junkyards

By Benjamin Joe

Senior Contributing Writer

Four properties in the Town of Niagara will be either repaired or demolished in the coming months after officials declared them unfit at their regular business meeting.

The properties include 3002 Rhode Island Ave., 3488 Rhode Island Ave., 6321 Edgewood Drive and 6701 Elsa Place. Supervisor Sylvia Virtuoso and Town Attorney Michael Risman said these properties have been documented as needing repairs since at least 2024.

The meeting served as a hearing for all four properties. Risman noted all but one of the owners did not attend, and believed this waived any legal objections they had to the resolutions. The owners of the properties now have up to June 1 to repair or demolish their properties.

Four junkyards were also awarded license renewals after some concern was brought up in the work session held by town officials on Wednesday, April 15. Since then, Virtuoso said four junkyards, Garlock’s Auto Inc., Metalico, Kach’s Auto Service and Satarian Auto, had been contacted and “did what was requested” to remain in compliance.

Another business, George’s Towing, still needs to do more.

“They started out right, but still need to remove a lot of trucks including a very large storage container on the property,” Virtuoso said of the towing company.

The annual special-use permit renewal request was tabled for the time being.

Other news

•The Town of Niagara will no longer be paying the Oakwood Cemetery Association $5,000 annually to bury residents unable to procure their own burial on a piece of land the town owns within the cemetery.

The Town Board voted to not renew the lease with the association at its meeting Tuesday.

The last time a resident was buried there was in 2007.

Virtuoso noted at the work session that, if someone does die within the town without means, Niagara County cremates those individuals.