IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. -- The town of Irondequoit is taking action on dilapidated vacant homes or zombie properties. So far, the town has demolished two abandoned homes it deemed unsafe.
"It has been sitting like this for, oh, a good eight years," said Pete Huse.
Huse has waited years to see the abandoned house across the street from his torn down.
"Good to see it go, bye bye!" Huse said.
Lisa Hebblethwaite's lived on Montcalm Drive for 24 years.
"It's very sad first of all because it brings down the neighborhood. It's been such an eyesore. It has been hard living next door. It's been a danger to my children," said Hebblethwaite.
Irondequoit changed its town code and says it's now holding property owners and banks more accountable for deteriorating vacant homes. If property owners do not obey town orders, the town will tear down the abandoned house and send the property owner the bill.
"The whole problem with zombie properties is probably larger that what a town can fix, but what we can do is insist the houses be kept in a certain condition and if they are not, we can order them repaired or if they are unsafe; demolished," said Irondequoit Supervisor Adam Bello.
The house on Montcalm Drive is the second vacant home the town's demolished in two days. A house on Seacliffe Road near Seabreeze was beyond repair and also torn down. Bello says there are about 200 vacant homes in Irondequoit.
"It is not a unique problem to Irondequoit, this is something that is happening around the county, the state and really the country. You are hearing about zombie properties a lot. I am optimistic that these steps that we are taking in the long-term are going to be good for Irondequoit," said Bello.
The goal is to get vacant homes rehabbed, back on the market and sold, but for some, years of neglect meant demolition was the only option.