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Published April 5, 2016 in the Rutland Herald
Anti-blight ordinance goes into effect next month
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
SPRINGFIELD — A new ordinance aimed at curbing blight in zones around the town’s schools and day care centers goes into effect next month.
Town Manager Tom Yennerell said the anti-blight ordinance, which was adopted by the Select Board last week, would go into effect on May 28.
The new anti-blight ordinance was changed earlier during the public input process, Yennerell said, but after last Monday night’s public hearing, no additional changes were adopted, despite some criticism of the proposal.
“I think the board felt they had changed it, based on the comments at the first hearing,” said Yennerell.
The ordinance backs off the originally proposed 500-foot zone around both public and private schools and day care centers, he said. The ordinance instead talks about “proximate” areas surrounding schools.
Yennerell said that the proposed anti-blight ordinance could be appealed, but it would require a petition signed by five percent of all the voters in town asking for a townwide vote. That petition would have to be filed within 44 days, the town manager said.
The ordinance does include more flexibility, giving the Select Board or the town manager power to grant extensions on the 14-day requirement to address problems, which can include graffiti. The ordinance bans the permanent use of Tyvek as a building material, and also bans using outside porches for storage.
While some residents had raised the question about residents’ ability to pay for repairs in such a short time frame, Select Board member Walter Martone said that other organizations in town were trying to address the issue of financing such home repairs.
The ordinance calls for a $500 per violation fine.
The anti-blight ordinance was written with the area on Union Street near Union Street School in mind, although there are other problem areas in town. The ordinance is part of an ongoing effort by the Select Board to address dilapidated or abandoned buildings in town.
http://www.vermonttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/RH/20160405/NEWS02/160409761
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20160405/NEWS02/160409761
Blah, blah, blah, blah............
ReplyDeleteA useless, feel-good effort that wont amount to Jack Squat! "Proximate?" What the hell does that mean? After years of getting the run around from Bishop the inept board can't come up with anything better for concise language to insure compliance?
Pretty obvious someone on the selectboard is benefiting by these eye sores continuing to operate as highly profitable, low income housing. Anyone expecting to buy a home in Springfield and build equity is a fool!
Might it be No-man.
DeleteHey! The solution came to me in a flash of light and a roll of thunder.
ReplyDeleteMake Springfield a gated community, except for the industrial park. All property owners must sign a covenant or get out of town by sundown.
2:36 is spot on. This town's leaders only know symbolism. They are clueless when it comes to strategic planning and execution. The past 30 years are ample proof of that. The town government pinballs from one boutique, feel good initiative to another, but never rolls up their sleeves and tackles the root cause economic issues at the heart of Springfield's ongoing demise.
ReplyDeleteLatest among the boutique causes is stamping out the 30 year blight with the toothless, half-hearted showmanship of municipal muscle that will quickly be neutralized by the usual legal kryptonite. Meanwhile, Springfield languishes in a decades long economic stupor and continues to elect and hire the usual cast of low performing "officials" and equip them with the shovels to dig the town's grave even deeper.
Unless the town's voters wise up and begin electing competent representatiom, all that will remain is for its final epitaph to be engraved somewhere on its decaying infrastructure.