The Kings Park Civic Association is taking landlords and owners of several buildings on Main Street to task over poor upkeep and even dangerous conditions at their businesses.
President Sean Lehmann read a letter addressed to the building department at Tuesday evening’s meeting to members of the group, dated June 30 of this year, outlining more than a dozen offenses.
High on the list were buildings at 26 Main Street through 38 Main Street, which are occupied by stores including and in some cases house second-floor apartments. Complaints included broken windows, exposed electrical wires, cracks in the brick and stucco of the buildings and missing downspouts and gutters. Photographs of the buildings were taken in May and sent in along with the letter to the town.
Lehmann says the letter came about through comments he received on the group’s yearly membership applications and through email.
“Every year when we do memberships we get a list of concerns. We take these concerns very seriously. This is how we set up our agendas for the year. Each year it is a top concern. We have seen an increase in the amount of individual buildings we see listed on these forms,” said Lehmann.
Broken glass in the window of 26 Main Street, which is adjacent to Russ Savatt Park and Ralph’s Ices, was a top concern.
“The window is sitting over a park where children are eating ice cream,” said Lehmann.
According to records at the town tax assessor’s office, the building is owned by James R. Reilly of 48 Dogwood Court in Stamford, CT, though records at the City of Stamford tax office reflect a different owner of 48 Dogwood Court. The Town of Smithtown tax receiver’s office shows the tax bill for this property has been paid by James Reilly of 8 Main Street in Kings Park, which is the address for Flynn Realty.
Larry Flynn, who owns Flynn Realty, said he manages the building as well as several others in the town including the buildings occupied by Fisher Books, Olde Tyme Candy and Magic Sauce. He says that the civic association has pointed out a few things, but said he is not sure that they have ever had a “meaningful conversation” about the building.
According to Flynn, the exposed wire that was hanging was disconnected 20 years ago and that some repairs have been done.
“We painted it up, put back the nails. The building dates back to 1898. I guess that anything that’s a hundred years old gets a little tired looking,” said Flynn.
Patch obtained a letter dated November 2010, in which Flynn responded to some of the complaints put forth by the civic association. In the letter, Flynn thanks Lehmann for a conversation they had on November 6 and informs him that the nails on 26 Main Street have been taken care of and that replacement of the window would be finished in the upcoming weeks.
When Patch asked Flynn about the broken window, Flynn said that he would have the window repaired.
According to records at the Town of Smithtown Building Department, no summonses have been issued to the property, but an open complaint from July 26 of this year remains. According to records, an inspector for the town noted exposed wiring and roof drainage at the time of inspection.
According to Lehmann, copies of the letter were forwarded to Councilmen Robert Creighton and Ed Wehrheim.
“There has been communication from the KPCA and building department regarding 26 to 38 Main Street, south side of the street,” said Creighton. “The building department and public safety are going to try to resolve these complaints. We are addressing it.”
