Town wants to crack down on blight near schools, day care centers

A tough new town ordinance would give the town another tool to fight blight around the town's schools and day care centers.

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Published February 10, 2016 in the Rutland Herald Town wants to crack down on blight near schools, day care centers By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — A tough new town ordinance would give the town another tool to fight blight around the town’s schools and day care centers. The ordinance would allow the town to fine property owners for everything from graffiti that lingers too long, to flake board or plywood on windows or slow action fixing broken windows. The new ordinance, which still has to undergo two public hearings and review, gives property owners no more than 14 days to fix problems such as broken windows or metal roofing used as exterior siding. Some cases, such as graffiti, must be cleaned up “promptly.” Buildings within 500 feet of a school or licensed day care center would be affected. Selectman George McNaughton helped write the new ordinance along with Selectman Walter Martone and Tom Yennerell, town manager, with help from Stephen Ankuda, town attorney. McNaughton said this ordinance was different from the town’s current unsafe building ordinance. This ordinance, he said, is an effort to improve the appearance of Springfield in an effort to attract new people to the town. People moving to a town usually check out the schools immediately, he said, and those areas around the schools should reflect the community’s best goals. “People who don’t care are driving down the value of neighborhoods,” said McNaughton, who added that the ordinance was aimed at people who didn’t do basic maintenance of their buildings. People who have postponed maintenance because of financial problems are eligible for programs, he said. Last summer, a church group called The Methodist Army helped many homeowners in town. McNaughton said volunteer programs would be in place as well to help people do the repairs on their homes. “This is more an egregious failure to maintain and buildings have become a major eyesore in a neighborhood. We aren’t asking to demolish them, but we will start hitting them with fines,” he said. Under the new ordinance, porches and decks would be off-limits for storage of trash or “junk.” “Failure to keep the structure secure from the elements or the use of tarps to secure the structure from the elements except on a temporary basis,” should not exceed 14 days, the proposed new ordinance states. The new ordinance addresses buildings that are within 500 feet of the property boundary line of a public or private accredited school or a licensed day care center. Violations are civil and can carry a $500-per-violation fine. Once property owners are notified in writing of any alleged violations by the town, they have 14 days to come into compliance. McNaughton said the neighborhoods around Springfield High School and Elm Hill School are generally in good shape, but it’s the neighborhoods around Park Street School and Union Street Schools that need help. Park Street School, which is home to the school district’s administrative offices, contains a licensed day care center, McNaughton said, and would come under the ordinance. The town’s ordinance committee considered a 1,000-foot or a 750-foot zone, eventually settling on a 500-foot zone. The Select Board voted 4-0 in favor of the new ordinance. The next hearing on the new ordinance will be held at 6 p.m. March 7. http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20160210/NEWS02/160219964