Springfield voters are asked to address blighted buildings

Town meeting voters will be asked to say, yes, there are blighted neighborhoods and buildings in Springfield.

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PHoto by Len Emery The Parks and Woolson building on Park Street in Springfield has broken windows and rusting railings. Published January 22, 2016 in the Rutland Herald Springfield voters are asked to address blighted buildings By Susan Smallheer STAFF WRITER SPRINGFIELD — Town meeting voters will be asked to say, yes, there are blighted neighborhoods and buildings in Springfield. The Select Board included a “slum or blight” town meeting article on the warning on a 5-0 vote Wednesday night. The two-part article asks voters whether they agree that there are one or more slum or blighted areas in Springfield, and whether the “rehabilitation, conservation, redevelopment” of such areas is necessary “in the interest of the public health, safety, morals or welfare” of the residents. Selectman Walter Martone said the town vote would be the first step in what will undoubtedly be a long process for the town to come up with a formal plan to attack the economic problem. Martone said the vote would in essence be “the key in the locked door” toward the town getting federal and state funds. “This commits us to nothing. It opens a door,” said Martone. “We have a problem in town and we have a problem with blight.” Selectwoman Stephanie Thompson said she was initially reluctant to endorse such a negative assessment of her hometown and would bring the town another negative headline. But Thompson said that she was now convinced it was a necessary first step and that voters would have the say. The Vermont League of Cities and Towns had proposed the article under Vermont “urban renewal” statutes. Springfield has been struggling for several years to counter the economic bad news that has in large part defined the town for the past 30 years, ever since the decline of the machine tool industry. In the past two years, the Select Board has taken an aggressive role in trying to clean up the town and get rid of dilapidated buildings, whether they are owned by local people or out-of-state landlords. Selectman George McNaughton said there would b a “blitzkrieg of information” for residents in anticipation of the March vote. “We are trying to throw everything we can” at the problem, Martone said. Several people praised the Select Board’s action, saying that while the language was harsh, it reflected the reality that many homeowners face – dilapidated buildings right next to them. One resident, Woody Bickford, who had earlier in the evening sharply faulted the Select Board for not doing enough to counter rising taxes, said that economics were behind the declining appearance of buildings in Springfield. “More and more houses, including my own house,” are getting behind in maintenance, Bickford said. Town Manager Tom Yennerell said after the meeting he hoped the town could come up with a plan on its own without going the consultant route. Too often, he said, “consultants just tell you what you already know.” http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20160122/NEWS02/160129821