Smithtown may raze so-called 'Hightower houses' in Kings Park

Two vacant Kings Park houses face a date with the wrecking ball after the Smithtown Town Board on Tuesday let stand a plan to raze them.

But the board could rescind the plan at an upcoming meeting over concerns that the wrong owner was named last week in a resolution authorizing the demolition, Councilman Thomas McCarthy said.

The board voted, 3-2, Thursday to demolish the so-called “Hightower houses” on West Main Street because town building inspectors deemed them unsafe. Councilmen Robert Creighton and Edward Wehrheim opposed the measure because it named a former owner instead of the current owner of the adjoining properties.

The town board met Tuesday but did not vote on a revised version of the resolution.

McCarthy, who sponsored last week’s resolution, said town attorney John Zollo will review the matter. McCarthy said he may seek additional legal opinions after Zollo’s review.

At an earlier work session Tuesday, McCarthy and Creighton heatedly debated the demolition plan. Creighton said the board should vote on an “accurate” resolution, while McCarthy said the town should move swiftly to tear down the structures.

The town must hire a contractor to tear down the buildings. The process of awarding a contract and scheduling demolition could take months.

Supervisor Patrick Vecchio said he is concerned about the town’s legal liability if someone is injured while visiting the property.