Clean-Up Forced on Local Property
Richard Mack
Riverside Review
48 DOYLE AVENUE - On March 28, 2000, two days before the Mayor's Impact Team clean-up.
How many houses does it take to turn a clean, quiet neighborhood into one with suspicious activity and signs of blight? Ask Doyle Avenue residents and they'll tell you, "just one."
The house at 48 Doyle has been a source of misery for over a year for residents living in what's often referred to as one of the "nicer neighborhoods" in the north district.
Last week, the Mayor's Impact Team took one step in removing the blight, marking progress in the clean-up process.
Around Halloween of last year, a garage on the property had burned to the ground. The debris remained until March 30th of this year, when the Impact Team finished it's clean-up. The garage mess was just the most obvious sign of a much larger problem.
According to North District Councilmember Joe Golombek, the property has been a haven of suspicious activity for awhile. At least four reports were filed between September 25 and November 22nd of last year for charges including: loud music, loud dogs, hit and run, and other miscellaneous grievances.
"We (the council staff) started getting calls in January about the mess," said Golombek's Legislative Assistant Ken Kerr. "We wanted to attack it from every angle."
Golombek's office sent out letters to city building inspectors, the narcotics and vice bureau, the city's Corporation Counsel, and the Mayor's Impact Team.
Area block clubs also added their inspiration. Groups like the Doyle Avenue Block Club and the United Streets Block Club have been watching the property for some time and had expressed their concerns to the councilman at recent meetings.
On February 4, 2000, police officers from the Buffalo Narcotics Squad executed a court-approved search warrant and made five arrests for possession of a controlled substance.
Arrested for possession of a crack pipe and spoon, and crack cocaine residue and other pills were (the now current) property owner, Linda Hurley as well as Lorie Darnley, Michelle Lodestro, Douglas Rogers and Larry Falzone.
According to city officials, Hurley plead to disorderly conduct and is "in rehab."
City building inspector Robert Felschow, Jr. had visited the house and took pictures. A list of violations that inspectors had cited the property for was found crumpled up lying on the porch.
"It's a shame," said Felschow. "There was a real nice young couple who lived next door that just moved out because they couldn't take it anymore."
That couple has had their house up for sale for awhile, and has reportedly moved to a Buffalo suburb.Prior to March, the owner of 48 Doyle was listed as Michael Hurley. He was notified by the city's Corporation Counsel of the arrests and was asked to evict any persons conducting illegal activity. The house deed reportedly has since been transferred to Linda Hurley. The property is now on the city's foreclosure list for overdue back taxes.
Councilman Golombek has expressed a desire to see an organization like Black Rock - Riverside Neighborhood Housing Services buy and rehab the property, and find more responsible owners.
NHS Executive Director Paul Brunner, who visited the property, thought it might be feasible to rehab the property and would probably be cheaper than knocking it down and rebuilding, although, he had not seen the inside of the house. "It could be a great property. It has a nice double lot," he said.
People residing inside the house would not answer the door during any of the visits or during the clean-up process."We want to make quality of life in the neighborhood top priority. And, as in some cases, we may have to do it one house at a time," concluded Golombek.
