Lynn house of filth to get makeover

LYNN – Public Property Committee members voted Tuesday to clean up a grungy residence at 160 Essex St. to prevent its foul scent from wafting throughout the entire neighborhood.With the summer months right around the corner, officials are worried warm weather would exacerbate the odor coming from inside the foreclosed home, which is reportedly filled with human waste and rotting food.Director of Inspectional Services (ISD) Michael Donovan estimated that it would cost the city several thousand dollars to clean the inside and outside of the house.Donovan said he would begin gathering quotes from local companies on Wednesday to get an idea of how much the project would cost.”There were homeless people living in this house and the people obviously didn’t clean it up because the bathtub was full of human waste,” he said. “So we boarded it up and posted it as uninhabitable.”The city foreclosed on the seemingly abandoned property in March for non-payment of taxes totaling $28,567.39 dating back to 2004.Former owner Pauline Pizza, who is also listed as Pauline Flynn in city records, passed away several years ago and since then city officials said an unidentified family member and several other squatters have apparently occupied the residence.Ward 3 City Councilor Darren Cyr voiced displeasure over the grossly unkempt home and questioned how it went unnoticed.”This is my ward and this home has been nothing but a problem,” he said. “Either we burn it down or clean it up, because I’m sick and tired of all of these empty houses in the city.”Cyr said other people who live in the neighborhood don’t deserve to reside next to such a place.”It’s just beyond words, totally disgusting,” he said. “It has added to the ghetto that’s already there.”Public Property chair and Ward 4 City Councilor Richard Colucci suggested cleaning the home to sell it and put it out to bid.However, Fortucci said the city just entered into a one year right of redemption on March 13 with the former property owner whose name is unknown.Because of that, the owner could regain control of the property if the back taxes were paid in full.Committee members also raised concerns with prior tenants sneaking back in after the home is renovated and destroying it all over again.Donovan said the gas, electricity and water has all been turned off at the home.Councilor at Large Dan Cahill suggested looking into reducing the city’s cost of the clean up by partnering with the trial court for community service workers to clean the outside of the residence.Donovan said the inside would have to be cleaned by professionals because of the debris and biohazard waste.Listed as a two-family home, the 5,788 square foot residence was issued a letter from ISD in January in regards to a complaint about the front and rear porches that are in serious disrepair.Donovan said the Multi-Agency Task Force performed an interior and exterior inspection of the home on Nov. 16, 2007 and ordered the porches to be repaired.Abutters of the building have filed complaints in the past regarding a certain smell emanating from the residence and that it was unsecured and being occupied.