'Bye Bye' To Next Fire-Ravaged Zombie House

SHIRLEY, NY — The town bid adieu to another burnt-out shell of a building in Shirley this week.

On Tuesday, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine and Councilman Dan Panico watched the demolition of a burned-out “zombie house,” located at 27 Cypress Lane in Shirley.

The house was vacant and abandoned for many years before being destroyed by a fire on Dec. 15, officials said.

The residence had been home to squatters at various times, generating complaints from residents about the blight in the neighborhood, lawmakers said.

As with all the other houses razed over the past year, the structure was demolished in accordance with Chapter 73 of the town code, which provides a “fast track” to rid neighborhoods of unsafe structures. The cost of demolition and debris removal is the responsibility of the property owner, and the town places a lien on the property that is then placed on the tax bill. Next, Suffolk County reimburses the town and then they collect the money from the property owner, officials said.

“I commend Councilman Panico and our law department for acting swiftly to remove this dangerous eyesore from the neighborhood. We are determined to clean up neighborhoods across the town and I warn negligent property owners that we will not tolerate dilapidated and unsafe houses anywhere in the Town of Brookhaven," Romaine said.

“Thankfully no one was injured in this blaze, Panico added. "I am grateful to the firefighters who battled this fire in the early hours of the morning and to our waste management teams that skillfully demolish and clean up these properties."

Photo courtesy Brookhaven Town.