WESTBROOK – Low-hanging wires, holes big enough for humans and critters and a collapsing foundation make one abandoned home on Church Street an eyesore and safety hazard for the Westbrook neighborhood.

According to city Code Enforcement Officer Rick Gouzie, five houses in Westbrook have been abandoned, causing concerns about safety and property values, but there is little he can do to remedy the problem. Unless a building looks as if it is about to fall down, he can only make sure the doors are locked and barricaded.

“It’s really tough, if something’s been foreclosed on, other than making sure the building is secure, that’s really all I can do,” Gouzie said.

Empty buildings that have come to the attention of Gouzie in recent months include foreclosed properties at 309 Pride St., 325 Pride St. and 38 Church St.; as well as 40 Dana Court and the fire-damaged property at 689 Main St.

Gouzie said it is frustrating that his hands are tied. He said at one point about 10 years ago, the City Council did look at changing an ordinance on blighted buildings, which would have allowed Gouzie to ask people to mow their lawns or paint their homes, but the change was ultimately turned down. Gouzie said he thought the proposed ordinance might have tried to do too much.

“It’s a really fine line,” he said.

Elizabeth Sawyer, city assessor, said her department has only had three calls in the last two years about buildings affecting property values.

“Most real estate brokers will tell you that depending on the severity of the problem, it can affect property values. It’s a case-by-case basis,” Sawyer said.

But Michael Thomas, neighbor to the Church Street property, said he’s seen a decrease in his property value since the neighboring building has deteriorated through the years.

“It’s an eyesore, but my biggest concern is the safety of my grandchildren. I’ve caught them looking in the cellar. I’ve got five grandchildren and I don’t want anything to happen to them,” he said.

Thomas said his safety concerns include the many animals, which he affectionately calls “Skippy and the family,” darting in and out of the building, the unstable foundation and the smell of gasoline coming from the building.

During the summer, Thomas and his wife Debbie, who’ve lived in their home next door to the building for nearly 14 years, said he’s watched as water from the flooded mud floor basement has been pumped into the storm drain.

“If oil is in the mud, it could go into the sewer system and could foul up the sewer treatment plant,” he said.

Thomas used to deliver oil at one point in his career and now drives a truck for a living, leaving his wife alone for most of the week. He said he thinks it is inevitable the neighboring building’s foundation will one day buckle or, because of exposed electrical wires around the property, it will catch on fire.

Jim Blais, one of the owner’s of Blais Funeral Home across the street from the vacant property, also has concerns. The low-hanging power lines in front of the home could prevent the fire department from accessing the building, putting his own business in harm’s way. The rundown building is also the first thing people see when they exit the front door of Blais.

“People are still going to come [to the funeral home], but it’s just not very attractive for people to look at when they come out,” he said.

Thomas said he has written to the city about the property, and Gouzie did board up some of the larger holes in the building.

Sawyer said according to her assessing documents, the vacant Church Street property was listed as “in good condition.”

She said she would send someone out to the property soon to take another look at it.

Beverly June Poirier is listed as the owner of the building. According to Thomas, the building has been vacant for nearly a year. Before that, the home was rented out. Poirier is married to Joel Poirier, who was sued by the state attorney general’s office in 2012 for allegedly taking money from customers of his home construction and repair business in Buxton and failing to fulfill the work agreed upon. According to Assistant Attorney General Linda Conti, Poirier owes $695,000 in civil penalities and restitution. She said he has not paid any of that money and has moved to Wisconsin. She asks if anyone has seen the Poiriers to contact her office.

The Poiriers could not be reached for comment.

According to Gouzie, a new owner is now renovating 325 Pride St., and 689 Main St. is being rebuilt after a fire. The other properties are supposedly secured and vacant, waiting for someone to make the next move.

No one’s been living at this 38 Church St. home for a year or more, and neighbors are worried about the safety hazards the building presents. 
Staff photo by Suzanne Hodgson