Holley will list 8 homes that were under EPA control with realtor

By Kristina Gabalski, Correspondent Posted 9 May 2017 at 8:35 am

HOLLEY – In their first meeting since it was announced that the Village of Holley Development Corporation received the deeds to the eight Diaz homes in the village, VHDC members Monday evening decided how they plan to sell the properties – once all paperwork has been completed.

Members of the VHDC agreed to list the properties with a local realtor, RE/MAX.

“We want them sold,” VHDC member Krista Wiley said. “We want them rehabilitated. The faster they turn over the better.”

Two properties are zoned two-family – 37 S. Main St. and 26 S. Main St. – meaning the homes could end up as rentals. Some members of the VHDC expressed concern over the possibility all or some of the eight homes might become rentals properties.

“The reality is that is what they were before the Diaz release,” VHDC President Dan Schiavone said regarding the two Main Street properties. “I don’t think beggars can be choosers.”

Additionally, the VHDC voted to list the properties for the appraised value, but will also seek the advice of the realtor. The EPA appraised the homes in 2014, Schiavone said.

The total value of all 8 assessments is $217,000. The VHDC will receive 10 percent of the selling price with 90 percent going back to the EPA.

The homes vary in value from $60,000 for 37 S. Main St., to $0 for 6 Jackson St. Schiavone indicated the house at 6 Jackson St. would best be demolished by whomever purchases it. The VHDC set a value for the site at $5,000 based on the value of the property alone.

Most of the houses are in the $20,000 to $36,000 range. Three of the properties are on South Main Street; four are on Jackson Street and one is on Geddes Street.

Schiavone said VHDC attorney Jeff Martin is continuing the work of filing the deeds of the Diaz homes with Orleans County, and that two additional forms required by New York State are being sought from the EPA to complete the paperwork for the transfer of ownership the properties.

The eight properties were purchased by the EPA following an accidental release of chemicals from the Diaz plant in 2002. The homes have stood empty for more than a decade and have been deemed safe from any Diaz contamination by the EPA.

The federal agency, however, wants homes with lead paint to be abated by an EPA certified contractor.

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