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Fenton board reviews multiple unsafe structures, directs inspections and owner outreach
Summary
Building Inspector Matt Banks briefed the board on several unsafe structures across town — including a collapsing barn at 8 Canal Street and a garage near Hillcrest ballfield — and the board authorized letters, site visits and further legal follow-up.
The Town of Fenton Town Board spent a substantial portion of its April 29 work session reviewing an open docket of unsafe structures and directing follow-up including owner letters, site visits and possible legal avenues.
Building Inspector Matt Banks outlined individual cases: a barn with a caving roof at 8 Canal Street (report filed June 9, 2025) for which the Board directed a letter to owner Betty Tait; partial repairs but an expired permit at 1142 Chenango Street (owners Mark Colian and Thomas Surowka), where Banks will meet the owners to assess progress; and a vacant, partially opened mobile home and accessory structures at 44 Ganoungtown Road (owner Clint Ellis), where Gunster and Banks plan another visit.
Banks said the home at 1 Mc Mullen Street is fire-damaged and likely not repairable; both owners are deceased and title is unclear. Town Attorney Richard H. Miller said a daughter-in-law may be responsible and a bank may still be involved; Miller will re-check records and noted the town could pursue Real Property Tax Law (RPTL) procedures for abandoned properties, though that path is complicated if a bank remains involved.
Other properties discussed included a partially collapsed garage at 63 Nowlan Road adjacent to the Hillcrest ballfield (report filed March 30, 2026); an unfinished siding repair at 70 Pigeon Hill Road where caution tape now protects the structure; repeated court absences by owner Randy Backus of 112 Pigeon Hill Road (Miller said he argued for a bench warrant, which the judge will consider); and a partially collapsed barn at 28 Pine Street where family members requested time to retrieve heirlooms.
Banks also reported that the Dairy Bar property remains classified "Unfit for Occupancy" but may have salvageable sections and could be in the process of sale to someone who might convert it to a venue. The Board discussed re-filing unsafe-structure proceedings (county filings expire after one year), the option of a civil-action proceeding, and how the county handles similar cases. The Board did not take immediate enforcement action at the meeting but directed staff to send letters, conduct site visits and return updates at the May work session.
