Neighbors raise safety and code-enforcement concerns after incidents at Depew short-term rental

Celestine Simmons, a resident of 263 Evane Drive, told the Village of Depew Board of Trustees that neighbors have recorded a string of safety incidents at 259 Evane Drive, a property rented on short-term platforms. Simmons said a pile of burning brush on the rental property was observed burning and reportedly left unattended, prompting a fire response, and that a later disturbance led to a police response and one arrest.

"From the photo we could tell that the pile that was burning was right on the grass and it was still lit," Simmons said during public comment. She said neighbors contacted fire and police and that officials responded "expeditiously." Fire staff said they issued a warning to the property owner for the open burning and arranged for Department of Public Works pickup of cut materials.

Police confirmed to the board that officers "did apprehend and arrest one individual" and that the woman involved was taken to a local hospital; the department said an investigation is ongoing and that it could not provide additional details. Fire and code staff also said they checked the dwelling's smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors during follow-up visits.

Attorney Sam Alba told the board that the village has a couple of near-term options. He said the county maintains a short-term-rental registry that enforcement officials can query and that the village could pursue a local regulatory route. "If we decide we're going to pass our own local law, it's usually about a 60‑day process" that requires advertising a public hearing and subsequent board votes, Alba said; he added that a one-off resolution is also possible after additional legal research.

Code enforcement staff told residents that living spaces without proper egress — for example, long-term occupancy of a basement without a secondary exit — are not permitted and that the department will pursue violations where appropriate. Residents said they are documenting activity with doorbell cameras and neighborhood records to support enforcement.

The board did not take immediate legal action at the meeting but said attorney Alba and code staff would follow up with county contacts and research options to present at a future meeting. The village did note an interest in avoiding a wholesale ban on short-term rentals and said officials seek a solution that targets problematic properties while not penalizing responsible hosts.

Next steps announced to the speakers: code enforcement will pursue documented violations where present; the village attorney will report back on county registry checks and on legal options for a local regulatory approach. No formal local law or ban was adopted at the meeting.