Pressed by neighbors, the Board of Selectmen will begin cracking down on unsightly areas in the town.

A public hearing will be held on December 6 to address the property at 118 Sandwich Road, where a house stood before a fire leveled it in January and sent its owner to the hospital.

Neighbor Diana Roderick, appeared before the Board of Selectmen during the "citizen's participation" portion of the meeting to voice her concerns about the property.

"It's a public safety concern," she said, adding that she wanted to know what the Selectmen planned on doing about it.

On Tuesday, Director of Inspectional Services Myles Burke told Selectmen that the property is "one of the properties we're looking to clean up."

Town officials consider the property a health hazard and the town's Board of Health and Inspectional Services department have been fielding complaints from neighbors and town leaders alike.

Town Administrator Mark Andrews told the Board of Selectmen on November 8 that neither the property owner nor his family could pay to clean up the property.

Asked by citizens about whether a decision would be made at the hearing, Andrews said it would be. One solution is for the town to absorb the cost of the clean up, place a lien on the property, and be reimbursed once the property is sold.

Burke also alerted the Selectmen to a zoning violation at 2 Sarah Beth Lane. The property belongs to Joesph Sergi. Last winter Sergi began parking multiple trucks on his property, which were removed after Burke threatened legal action.

The trucks have since reappeared. Tuesday, Selectmen approved Burke's request to seek the advice of town counsel as to the what action the town can take against Sergi.

In other town business:

• The Selectmen voted to authorized the payment of a $24,964.03 bill for design work completed on the Agawam Beach and Mayflower Ridge sewer project. The project was indefinitely postponed by Selectmen earlier this year after its high cost prompted opposition from neighbors. It is unclear who will pay for the bill, as it would normally be reimbursed by fees paid by residents whose properties were sewered as part of the project.
• The Selectmen voted to post the Community and Economic Development Authority (CEDA) Director position. The position has been filled by a part-time consultant since former director Chris Reilly stepped down in August 2010.
• The Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee will hold a joint meeting to hear from a representative from Powers and Sullivan on December 14.
• Steve Sooy was appointed to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
• Frank DeFelice was appointed from an associate member of the Board of Health to a full-time member.