Residents rail against ‘eyesore’

Town gives owner May 1 deadline to clean up property

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff writer

The property at 246 Teut Road has become something of a local lore in Burlington – and not for a good reason.

“People say, ‘You live next to that mess?’” explained Noel Showers, who lives next to the property with his wife, Nita. For more than 10 years, the couple says, they have fought to have owner Steve Tilistyak clean up the property – to no available.

And with a chance to put an end to the mess earlier this year, the Town of Burlington Board of Supervisors may have inadvertently extended the problem.

Tilistyak appeared in front of the Town Board March 22 to update the board on the project, which included recently moving the house formerly at 924 Terry Lane (across from the former Lynch dealership in the City of Burlington) onto the property and then finish cleanup and remodeling.

However, while Tilistyak wanted to discuss matching bricks on the old garage to the new home, the board was more concerned with the lack of progress on the property.

“I see nothing being done,” said board member Joan Boehm. Town Chairman Ralph Rice conceded, “There’s a lot to be done yet.”

The project has a May 1 deadline – and a $25,000 payment made by Tilistyak. Board members said at the meeting that if the work does not meet expectations by May 1, the town can claim that money and use it to take everything down on the property.

While Tilistyak said progress has been and will continue to be made, the idea of simply tearing down everything resonated at the meeting with Teut Road residents Vicky View and Phil Peterson. Peterson, a member of the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission, said that the panel approved the move with the condition that the old garage on the property be taken down.

“No one corrected me on my statements,” he said. His wife went one step further, saying Tilistyak is abusing his neighbors and the house move shouldn’t “have ever been approved.”

For Noel and Nita Showers, it’s the latest step in an ongoing saga. The couple says the Tilistyak family found mold in the original home on the property when Tilistyak’s wife was pregnant. She moved out of the home while Steve Tilistyak attempted repairs and renovations.

The roof was taken off the home with the anticipation of putting a second floor on, but that work could not proceed because the ranch home wasn’t built to support it.

Plans fell through, and Tilistyak tore down the house – but not the garage.

For more than two years, foundation lay open to the elements. The Showers went to Racine County to get Tilistyak to remove junk cars on the lot – a clear violation – but also to try and address the safety concerns of an open foundation with nothing on it, plus the garage existing with no home (a zoning ordinance issue with the town).

Late last year, Tilistyak received an offer to take the home on Terry Lane and move it to the property on Teut Road. Tilistyak did indeed move the house, but took the roof off rather than pay We Energies to move the power lines during the move.

According to View and Peterson, the house stood open to the elements without a roof throughout the winter – creating another possible mold infestation.

With the problems again piling up, Teut Road residents – or at least the Showers, View and Peterson – want the problem addressed.

“I would ask the town board that they don’t allow any changes until that garage is removed,” Peterson said. View said she wanted the issue to go back to the P&Z.

Noel Showers, meanwhile, wants to know what the plan is for the property.

“If there’s a plan, what is it? Who’s involved, and when’s the deadline?” he said. “I would like to know if there’s a plan. We’ve been working on this for 10 years. The problem has been enforcement.”

Nita added, “There’s been no follow through.”

Noel concluded, “They’ve already spent more money than it’s worth. We’d like to see reasonable progress that will wind up in occupancy and a clean yard.”