Trending
EAST LIVERPOOL --Vacant properties don't have to represent blight if they are properly maintained, an industry expert explained Wednesday.
City council's licensing and economic development met briefly and renewed its commitment to that end, after a lengthy discussion with Mark Peluso of Town Center Associates, a Pennsylvania-based real estate consulting firm.
Councilman John Mercer, who chairs the committee, read the suggested introduction of an ordinance proposed in regards to the vacant storefronts, ground floor spaces in particular: "The city of East Liverpool finds as follows:
-- The central business district is the most publicly visible in this community. The condition of the district has significant economic and social impact on the community.
-- When the owner of a vacant storefront in the central business district fails to actively maintain its condition and appearance and does not strive to keep the property occupied with legally permitted uses, the building can become a major cause of blight to this community. Vacant buildings discourage economic development and negatively impact appearance of property values.
-- It is the responsibility of property ownerships to prevent their property from becoming a burden to this community and to the public health, safety or welfare.
-- One vacant property that is not well maintained and managed can be the core and cause of spreading blight."
As Peluso explained, blighted properties cause not only reduced values but also require more attention to be dedicated to it -- so drug dealers, rodents and squatters don't take about residence there.
Owners of non-residential properties within the city limits who fail to keep it clean and marketable will be hit with a $500 fee annually under this legislation.
"This ordinance says to owners of vacant storefront the community would like you to keep it clean and on market -- make it evident,"
Peluso continued. "This is not a registration ordinance but more of a monitoring ordinance by the municipality. If you do that, it won't cost you a dime."
While city officials may not be able to force a property owner to sell or lease his/her property, they can ask to share the cost of monitoring it, he added.
City officials notify the property owner of the infraction, and he/she is given six weeks to comply. If they still haven't, a monitoring fee statement is mailed to him/her.
Town Center Associates also have consulted with the downtowns in Lisbon, Salem, Columbiana, Zelienople and Homestead.
"This is something easy and fast that we can do," explained Mercer to fellow city officials. "It is either empty or not empty. It is not hard to enforce."
Councilman Ray Perorazio expressed that he is not sure that this legislation does enough to fix the problem. "I think commercial buildings should pay something (anyway). We are burdened with that responsibility," adding that the city gets nothing out of property tax
Currently, East Liverpool has 52 vacant properties that have violations, according to Mercer. "Our goal is to make the properties not look vacant. Nothing looks vacant in Columbiana. We need to be able to identify and pressure those (property owners) doing nothing."
The goal is to get the ground floors in use.
Councilman Scott Barrett added that he was happy to see this committee, suggesting movement on this. "We have been talking about doing this for three years. We need to do this."
Housing inspector Kayla Crowl also discussed some changes to the reporting model of land contracts within the city. If a housing inspector drives past a home and see anything, this would give them a right to inspect as well as eliminate a loophole that enabled the land contract to be treated as a landlord-tenant situation.
"Any cancellation of land contracts (would be) required to be reported to city planning within 20 days (with this change)," she added.
"There are a lot of people being taken advantage of. All people have the right to a safe and habitable home," Crowl continued. "They don't have to be tip top, but we don't want to see them working on the home and just hoping for the best."
The committee also unanimously agreed to forward this to council as a whole for consideration.
Mercer will follow up with the committee with further discussion regarding establishment of of a Downtown Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), which would allow them to allow open container of alcoholic beverages in defined areas like the Diamond during outdoor events.