The owners of the former New England Art building has racked up more than $45,000 in fines for letting the historic structure fall into deep disrepair, according to a report prepared by the town’s Building Commissioner.
The former shoe factory is one of more than four dozen sites around town being monitored by the town as part of an increased effort to step up enforcement of building codes, zoning bylaws, and environmental regulations, and bring problem properties into compliance.
In his report, which was requested by the Abington Select Board, Building Commissioner Jason Harris said his office has issued “approximately” 63 enforcement orders for “problem properties, distressed and blighted properties, zoning violations and/or Building Code violations, and life /safety conditions.” That number doesn’t include a handful of active enforcement orders or investigations currently being undertaken by the Conservation Commission.
Illegal apartments have been a growing problem, Harris said, as housing costs have skyrocketed prompting more homeowners to try and squeeze in more units.
“One major concern we are seeing is that these units or areas being rented have limited, blocked or no ability to egress safely in the event of an unfortunate situation such as a fire,” Harris told Abington News. “The other concern we are seeing is that there is a lack of proper fire protection ,if any in the primary occupancy areas never mind the additional hazards that are being created.”
In the case of 10 Railroad Street, the town has been actively monitoring the property for years as the owner has failed to follow through on a permitted renovation project, had difficulty maintaining the building’s sprinkler system, and allowed the structure’s exterior siding to fall off in pieces.
“The current state of the structure is a concern due to the constant failures with the structure’s heat system which subsequently also compromises the fire suppression system to assist in controlling any type of structure fire,” Harris wrote in his report. “There has been a massive joint effort between this department and the Fire Department to ensure that our mutual efforts, enforcement, and constant supervision have kept the structure meeting the minimum requirements under both the Building and Fire codes.”
Back in 2019, the owners of the New England Art Factory building won permission to transform the 140-year-old, 100,000-square-foot former shoe factory into a residential apartment complex. The owners formally put the building up for sale in 2020 for $7 million.
The Building Department has issued more than $45,000 in fines to compel compliance, and is also pursuing a court order.
Other property owners have been more cooperative. Harris said 26 of the properties being monitored are in process of being rectified within the next few weeks, and 11 have already addressed their issues.
Harris is Abington’s third Building Commissioner in four years, following up the turbulent tenures of Marshall Adams, who departed in 2021, and Chris Carmichael, who resigned in 2023 after less than six months on the job. Harris, who is an Abington resident, previously worked in the Building Department in Hull, and was a local inspector in Abington under Carmichael.
The department’s renewed — and some would argue overdue — focus on enforcement is supported by Town Manager Scott Lambiase, who worked for several years as a Building Commissioner for the Town of Duxbury. He says Harris is blending enforcement with education, particularly for those property owners who simply don’t know the rules.
“I fully support the Building Commissioner’s approach, which emphasizes education and collaboration with property owners for enforcement,” Lambiase told Abington News. “Often, property owners are unaware of the benefits of adhering to rules and codes. Many banks and insurance companies require compliance before lending money for sales, refinancing, or equity loans. Insurance claims may face resistance if work was done without proper permits. In legal matters, attorneys also scrutinize adherence to regulations. Only as a last resort are fines and penalties imposed, after efforts to work collaboratively with property owners.”
The Conservation Commission has also had a focus on enforcement actions and investigating complaints, and are currently juggling a handful of them. These include 1212 Bedford Street and 267 North Quincy Street, which was the site of a major enforcement action in 2022. At the former property, the commission is concerned about work taking place near a small on-site pond. At the latter, the commissioner has been negotiating with the land owners to inspect a possible wetlands area in the back corner.
SELECT BOARD TO SET SPECIAL ELECTION DATE MONDAY NIGHT; NEW ASSESSOR TO BE APPOINTED
The Select Board is expected Monday night to set a date for a special election to fill the seat vacated by Kevin DiMarzio, who resigned earlier this month. The Town Charter says a special election shall be called when a vacancy on the board happens more than three months out from the regularly scheduled Annual Town Election. Board of Health member Amanda Zompetti has already declared her interest in running for the seat. Meanwhile, the Select Board is also expected to appoint a new member of the Board of Assessors. Nobody ran for the open seat at the Annual Town Election, and two former Selectmen — Joe Shea and Alex Bezanson — both received the same number of write-in votes.
GREEN WAVE FALL SPORTS SIGNUPS NOW OPEN
It’s not even Memorial Day, but the Abington High School Athletic Department is already looking ahead to the fall. Registration for all fall sports is now open for students entering grades 9-12. To be eligible, students must have a physical completed within the past 13 months on file, a concussion baseline test, and be academically eligible (pass 5 classes in Term 4 AND earn 25 credits this school year). Interest meetings with coaches will be held Tuesday May 28. The following sports will meet at 2 p.m.: Football (seminar room), Volleyball (Room 1218), Cheer (Room 2207), Golf (Room 2213), and Girls Soccer (Room 1216). The following sports will meet at 2:25 p.m.: Boys Soccer (Room 2105) and Cross-Country (Room 2127).
GREEN WAVE ATHLETICS
BASEBALL
Varsity
Tuesday, 4 p.m., @ St. John Paul II
Wednesday, 4 p.m., @ Cohasset
Friday, 7 p.m., @ Weston
Junior Varsity
Monday, 4 p.m., @ Rockland
Wednesday, 4 p.m., @ Cohasset
Thursday, 4 p.m., vs Saint John Paul II
BOYS LACROSSE
Varsity
Monday, 4 p.m., @ Sandwich
Wednesday, 5:15 p.m. vs. Old Colony Reg. Vo/Tech
Junior Varsity
Monday, 5:15 p.m., @Sandwich
Wednesday, 4 p.m., vs. Old Colony Reg. Vo/Tech
GIRLS LACROSSE
Monday, 6 p.m., vs. Sandwich
Wednesday, 4:45 p.m., @Old Colony Reg. Vo/Tech
SOFTBALL
Varsity
Monday, 4 p.m. vs. Pembroke
Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. vs. Cohasset
TENNIS
Varsity
Monday 4 p.m., vs. Pembroke
Wednesday, 4:30 p.m., vs,. Cohasset
ULTIMATE FRISBEE
Monday, 4 p.m., vs. Scituate
Wednesday, 3:30 p.m. vs. St. Sebastian
MEETING SCHEDULE
MONDAY
Board of Health, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall.
Select Board, 6:30 p.m., Town Hall. Agenda includes honoring the first responders involved in the recent fire at 500 North Quincy St., appointing a member of the Board of Assessors, calling a special election to fill a vacancy on the Select Board, and updates on the landfill capping and Center/North School development projects.