79th Street “eyesore” is no more

The raccoon and rat-ravaged home at 237 79th Street is finally being demolished.

The Tudor-style home smack in the middle of the block between Ridge Boulevard and Third Avenue, is owned by recluse Frank Landy, who does not have a landline or cell phone.

Councilmember Vincent Gentile’s office led efforts for the past year either to get the Department of Buildings to demolish the home or to have the property’s deed signed over to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation to create a smart home for local disabled veteran Bryan Dilberian, who lost three of his limbs fighting in Afghanistan in August, 2011.

Just as a deal was about to close, Dilberian decided that he wanted to live outside of New York City, so DOB workers began to tear down the behemoth of a home on Friday, May 10.

“This has been a very long process and the residents on the block have been incredibly patient and understanding,” Gentile said. “My goal now is to make sure this piece of land doesn’t sit as a vacant lot for months or years on end. There is a developer who is interested in rebuilding on that property immediately and that would be ideal.”

According to the DOB, the house has a Full Vacate Order, with 22 complaints dating back to 1991, eight open violations that go as far back as 1997 and 12 Environmental Control Board violations dating back to 1996.

“I know that the residents have complained for a number of years. There were many attempts to save it and get it sold, but the owner did not cooperate,” said Josephine Beckmann, district manager of Community Board 10. “It was the right move to take down the property and hopefully that will promote the property owner to sell it so it can be developed. It’s a relief that we are moving in a direction to have it secured and made safe.”

The homeowner will be billed by the city for the work done to secure the property.

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