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Resident seeks immediate demolition of deteriorating 47 Main Street; trustees set demolition agenda item for Aug. 11
Summary
A nearby property owner urged the Village of Depew to speed demolition of a hazardous building at 47 Main Street. Building department staff said they will present a demolition resolution at the board’s Aug. 11 meeting and described the standard notice, title search and public‑hearing steps required before the village may demolish a structure absent
A Depew property owner pressed the Village Board of Trustees on July 28 to accelerate demolition of a building at 47 Main Street she described as structurally unsound and a public‑safety hazard. Board members and staff said they will place a demolition resolution on the Aug. 11 agenda and follow standard notice and public‑hearing procedures unless the owner presents an engineer’s plan and funding to repair the structure.
Owner Alyssa Arlova said the building has deteriorated to a dangerous condition and urged the board to “speed up the process for demolition of this property.” She told trustees the building was red‑tagged on Oct. 28 and that successive extensions granted to the property owners expired on July 5. Arlova provided photographs to the board and said the structure leaned, windows were popping out, foundation supports were rotted and the condition had driven potential tenants away.
What staff and the board said: Building‑department staff confirmed the property has been inspected, red‑tagged and given multiple extension deadlines. Staff advised the board they have started the paperwork for demolition and plan to present a formal resolution at the next board meeting. The board and village attorney Sam Alba emphasized that the village must follow due process: standard demolition procedure includes service of notice, a public hearing and an opportunity for owners to present engineer reports or to pull permits to repair the building. Alba said an emergency demolition pathway exists but is typically reserved for immediate collapse risk such as post‑fire shells; that pathway would require a structural engineer to certify an imminent threat.
Timeline discussed: Staff said they will place a demolition resolution on the Aug. 11 agenda; after that the village will serve notice and hold a public hearing consistent with Open Meetings Law timing. Officials said, barring late filings, the demolition process could move forward over the following one to three months, but final timing depends on liens, title issues or owner submissions of engineering documents.
Clarifying context: Inspectors and building staff told the board the structure may have a sound front half and a compromised rear/crawl‑space foundation; that factored in earlier extensions and the request that owners provide engineer plans. Staff said the village has previously pursued demolition on multiple properties and will follow the same legal process here if owners do not produce a credible repair plan.
Public safety and next steps: The board told Arlova that staff will proceed with the demolition paperwork and title search; if the property owner or their representative files complete engineering plans and demonstrates funding to repair before the hearing, village officials said they would pause demolition and consider permit applications. If not, the board will consider a demolition resolution on Aug. 11 and proceed with required notice, hearing and contracting for removal.
