Southampton Town Code Enforcement officers, police and fire marshals uncovered an illegal transfer station in Flanders on Friday morning, according to a statement issued by Town Spokesman Ryan Horn.
The Priscilla Avenue property was being used commercially, with 15 roll-off Dumpsters, some as large as 40 cubic yards, found on-site, the release stated. There were also other receptacles identified on nearby land that is owned by the town.
The 1-acre property is zoned residential, and the town’s code permits a two-family home there. The owner of the property, Frank Fisher, has stated he will immediately begin to bring the property into compliance with the code, according to the statement.
Mr. Fisher could be reached for comment.
“It appears Dumpsters were brought first to this site, and the contents were then shipped to other disposal locations,” Town Councilwoman Nancy Graboski stated in the release. “Some of them contained building demolition debris and others had landscaping debris.”
Officials noted other alleged transgressions on site, including the storage of commercial materials without the proper placards posted on the storage buildings, the release states. Such operations are typically restricted to commercial locations and require a permit from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, it notes.
“Egregious property misuse drastically impacts a neighborhood’s quality of life and surrounding environment,” Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst stated in the release. “This is yet another example of the type of illegal operation a strong code enforcement team can address.”
Charges will be filed with the Southampton Town Justice Court in anticipation of a future arraignment. Chief Town Investigator David Betts said the investigation is ongoing, according to the statement.
Rohma Abbas on Mar 16, 2011