Willis Avenue circus

Agencies converge on disputed residence; 'junkyard' abides

October 22, 2009 | 01:33 PM
Conditions at a Port Jefferson home have drawn the attention of multiple agencies.

As reported last week ["Neighbor fears junk's impact on environment, health"], Willis Avenue resident April Coburn has approached the Village for relief from conditions she likens to a "junkyard" next door to her home.

Coburn said she has been cooperating with Village Attorney Barry Warren, who is heading an investigation into conditions at the site, and she said she also contacted the state Department of Environmental Conservation, which sent an officer to the property Saturday.

The DEC officer found "no environmental conservation law violations on the property," according to DEC spokeswoman Aphrodite Montalvo. "As far as the DEC is concerned there are no violations," Montalvo said, "and the case is closed from our end."

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Also at the scene Saturday was Port Jefferson Fire Chief Fred Leute, who said he "didn't find any cause for complaint." Village code officers also responded to Willis Avenue Saturday in conjunction with a Village Building Inspector.

That was Saturday. On Monday Mayor Margot Garant said of the incident, "None of us had prior notice," and noted a report from Code Enforcement that lists Trustee Carmine Dell Aquila as the complainant.

At Monday's business meeting of the Village Board, Trustee Leslea Snyder, who serves as Deputy Mayor and Commissioner of Public Safety, wanted to know "how were all these resources employed" without her and the mayor knowing?

However Dell Aquila denied he had requested Village inspectors visit the site, admitting only to having relayed information about the property to Village Engineer Kevin Koubek but stopping short of ordering the latter to dispatch the building Inspector. Meanwhile Village Attorney Warren reminded the board he had already been charged with investigating the Willis Avenue allegations. "Leave it in my hands," Warren pleaded.

Code Chief Wally Tomaszewski, who had been notified of the activity on Willis Avenue by the shift supervisor, also rolled up on the site Saturday, where he said he came close to being wrongfully arrested by Suffolk police. Tomaszewski told the village trustees Monday that Tim and Brian Burden, the owners of the controversial Willis Avenue property, had screamed at him and accused him of assault, before finally recanting in front of Suffolk police.

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