BUFFALO, N.Y. — A neighborhood's long fight over an abandoned Buffalo company took another step forward this morning.
We're talking about Battaglia Demolition, where neighbors have complained for years about noise, air pollution, and a massive rat problem.
The Clean Air Coalition says Buffalo housing judge Patrick Carney ordered Battaglia to clear out the rats and gave the city the power to go for a cleanup and demolition order.
"They have to get rid of the rat problem before they even start demoing, or else the rats are going to be in the whole neighborhood. And we've got a big enough problem as it is. But that would just put it so bad, it would be unbelievable," Arthur Robinson, President of Seneca-Babcock
Community Block Club said.
"At this point, we have an abandoned property that's plaguing the community. So cleanup, baiting the rodents is a step in the right direction, 100%," Bryan Bollman of the Buffalo Common Council said.
The expectation is that the bait will go out this coming week. The case is due back in court in August.