James Pontillo and his wife, Laura (photo by Mike Pettinella)
By Mike Pettinella
For Video News Service
The people have spoken and now it’s up to the Stafford Town Board to listen to them.
That’s the message conveyed at Monday night’s town board meeting by James Pontillo, owner of the former Stafford Trading Post at the corner of Routes 5 and 237.
Stafford residents are rallying around Pontillo, who has been embroiled in a lengthy legal dispute with the board over the condition of the 134-year-old landmark.
The board has placed a certificate of abandonment on the two-story structure and has summoned Pontillo to a hearing on Thursday morning in Genesee County Supreme Court before Judge Diane Y. Devlin.
Link to meeting: GENESEE COUNTY/Stafford Town Board Meeting/August 12, 2024 – Video News Service
Pontillo reported that citizens have gathered more than 200 signatures on petitions seeking to keep the two-story structure from being demolished. He thanked those for caring about his plight, emphasizing that he did not initiate the petition drive.
“I can’t believe a couple of you took the initiative to get this signed sheet,” he said. “Hundreds of people have already signed up — signed it. Other people have made some positive comments, and really not too many negatives. Some were kind of humorous.
“I just had someone stop over and started working on the island. I said, ‘What are you doing?’ A neighbor … I said that’s DOT (Department of Transportation). I’ve asked them multiple times to come in and address that island. He goes, ‘Yeah, but you know what? It doesn’t look good.’ He took care of it.”
Pontillo said he was thankful “that the community is coming together, and the board needs to recognize that.”
“I believe they spoke, and so why not listen to them, so we can move forward.”
David Roach, attorney with DiMatteo Roach & Kelly of Warsaw, is representing the town in this matter and also was at the meeting.
Roach admonished Pontillo for ignoring the complaint from the town. (photo by Mike Pettinella)
“Mr. Pontillo, do you have an attorney?” To which Pontillo replied, “Yes, Pete Sorgi.”
“Then I cannot talk to you if you are represented,” Roach responded. “Have Mr. Sorgi contact me directly. You’ve had this complaint now for months. You’ve had a motion in default for weeks. Now, I’ve heard nothing from you, and I’ve heard nothing from Mr. Sorgi.”
Roach implored Pontillo to call him to “clear up all these misunderstandings.”
“We will come up with a plan to get this done. But once it’s in litigation, you, if you’re unrepresented, or your attorney needs to talk to me. I understand you don’t do this every day but that’s the way to do it.”
While addressing the board last night, Pontillo said Code Enforcement Officer Gene Sinclair has denied him twice in recent weeks for a permit to fix the roof of the building. He also said he just learned that the stop work order issued by the town only applied to the inside of the building, not the outside.
“Once I realized that, I said, ‘Well, then I can go ahead and take care of the outside?’”
Pontillo acknowledged that he is “bothered” by the look of the outside of the building but said he thought he would be breaking the law if he was to put siding up. Since meeting with Sinclair, he has put new Tyvek on one side of the building, and he said will be siding all but the front of the structure.
He disputed the board’s contention that the building is abandoned.
“The building is not abandoned. Everybody saw the work that’s been done in there,” he said. “I don’t want to get into all the particulars of why it’s not abandoned. I believe the board, if you go into executive session, you might want to talk to the attorney and just say, ‘You know what? Maybe we should put the brakes on this and move forward in positive way. And I’ll be more than happy to talk …”
Previously:
https://fb.watch/s-W_YWdD3C– August 8, 2015-STAFFORD Residents upset with lengthy dispute over fence on historical property