By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — The Water Street property owner who was the subject of an order from the Building Inspector to remove numerous junk vehicles from the site and was required by the Health Department to leave his home has returned after required improvements were made to the dwelling.
At this week’s Town Council meeting, Town Administrator Stephen P. Maio provided the board with a progress update on the ongoing cleanup and improvements made to the site.
The 4.5-acre site has been strewn with as many as 20 junk motor vehicles and other assorted debris for many years and has been the source of frustration and consternation for neighbors.
On Nov. 3, 2021, Building Inspector Benjamin DeChristoforo issued the Cease-and-Desist Order under Section 154-8 of the Town Code to property owner Stephen Ulwick of 383 Water St. related to the storage of “abandoned, dismantled, inoperative, wrecked, junked and/or unregistered motor vehicles on a lot for more than 10 days.”
In January, through his attorney Brian McGrail, Ulwick appealed to the Town Council for an extension of time to comply with the Cease-and-Desist Order. The Town Council has been extending the time in increments based on progress updates provided by McGrail.
Meanwhile, a local building contractor and a towing company stepped forward and offered their services at minimal cost to help in the removal of the remaining unregistered vehicles. The Surianello family, owners of Heritage Builders, along with Joe Ardagna of Howe’s Towing have provided their heavy equipment to facilitate the removal of the junk vehicles, some of which are on remote parts of the property and need to be brought to an area where they can be accessed and removed.
In addition, 128 Plumbing and Heating has been donating its services to make Ulwick’s home habitable again. The home was condemned early in the process and Ulwick has been staying at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel at town expense.
Maio explained this week that, because it was the town’s Health Department that ordered Ulwick from the home, the town was required to provide alternative accommodations. The cost totaled $22,851, Maio said, some of which may be reimbursable from the state.
Maio said that the approach taken by the town was much cheaper than other routes available to the town, such as taking the property.
Maio asked Ulwick’s attorney, Brian McGrail, to provide a further update at this week’s Town Council meeting.
McGrail reminded the board that the property is in the process of being cleaned up beyond the requirements of the town’s original order, which applied only to the removal of junk vehicles.
“We’re doing our best,” McGrail said. “We’re close.”
He explained that some of the junk vehicles still on the site are there because other material had to be removed before they could get those vehicles out. He said that he believed that all vehicles would be removed before the next Town Council meeting on May 9. He asked the board for time to get the remaining vehicles off the site.
Earlier in the meeting, one of the abutters had spoken and voiced dissatisfaction with the pace of the cleanup.
Town Councilor Edward Dombroski said that he recognized the neighbors’ concerns, but he said that by taking more time and going beyond the requirements of the order the property will look much better that if the order had simply been followed to the letter.
He noted that Ulwick and McGrail are doing more than was asked by the town by removing other materials in addition to the vehicles, so he argued that patience is warranted.
Still, Town Councilor Michael McLane questioned why more wasn’t accomplished in the past month.
McGrail reminded the board that all of the businesses and individuals that have been helping with the cleanup are doing so on a voluntary basis without compensation. He noted that those businesses have other obligations to their own clients and employees.
He added that had the town taken a different legal route, the matter would have landed in court.
Town Councilor Jonathan Chines observed that a different approach probably would not have accelerated the timeline in any significant way, calling the present circumstances the best outcome that could be expected from an unfortunate situation.
Town Council chair Julie Smith-Galvin praised the town’s efforts to “preserve the dignity of this gentleman. We are not in the business of putting people out of their homes.”
The Town Council agreed to give Ulwick additional time to complete the cleanup, with another progress report expected at the May 9 Town Council meeting.
