Kara Clark knows the effect vacant buildings can have on a business.
Clark is the owner of Bailey’s Treasures in the 400 block of North Market Street. She said long-term vacant buildings in blocks leading up to her own can keep shoppers from wandering up from the businesses around Frederick’s Square Corner.
“It stops the foot traffic a lot,” Clark said. When people start to see vacant storefronts, they don’t think that the other shops are there, she said.
Owners of commercial buildings in the city that stay vacant for more than a year will now have to register the properties and could face fees and increased taxes the longer the buildings remain unoccupied under an ordinance passed unanimously Thursday night by the city’s aldermen.
The ordinance defines a vacant property as a commercial or mixed-use building that has been completely vacant for more than a year, or one in the city’s downtown or mixed use-zones where half of the first-floor area that’s visible from the street is vacant for more than a year.
The city will determine whether a building is vacant by city water bill records, and vacant buildings will be required to register online each year after one year of vacancy.
The city’s finance department will monitor properties that have $0 water bills, said Marc DeOcampo, the city’s chief administrative officer.
The second year that a building is vacant will require a registration with no fee, the third year will include a fee and an inspection, and the fourth and subsequent years will require a registration, fee and special taxation.
While the move drew praise from businesses, people need to have realistic expectations, and nothing will change overnight, Alderwoman Kelly Russell said.
Buildings that are vacant for more than two years will be inspected each year with a code that will be developed by the city’s director of public works.
The city will have to hire up to three additional inspectors before the end of the third year to perform the inspections that are needed, DeOcampo said.
Peter Brehm, who lives in the city’s Neighborhood Advisory Council 9, told the aldermen he supports the ordinance, but he wishes it was more aggressive with its timelines and fees.
Still, he said, it’s a good start.
(13) comments
Ok, here’s then loophole.
Connect a lawn sprinkler timer to a faucet and program it to run for no less than 20 minutes every 18 hrs. Simply connect the timer to the cold water washer machine spigot. And run the hose into the washer machine drain pipe.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Orbit-1-Output-Port-Digital-Hose-End-Timer/50329571
Has Duckie Ro stopped laughing yet?
Sounds like typical case of government overreach. How do you keep a vacant commercial property open if there isn’t a need? Owners aren’t going to open a business unless there is a need which is profitable. Sounds a little unreasonable.
is the Ro property still empty
Yes.
If memory serves me correctly, I believe the former Scotty's Toy Store used to be located in one of the buildings in the picture. That was a kids heaven back in the 50s / early 60s. I wonder how many today remember it?
I remember Scottys , which was on the corner of 3rd street and Market, the building shown in the picture of this article. I recall it to have been a candy store. My parents would take me there after church. And yes it was a childs heaven.
[thumbup][thumbup][thumbup] to a fellow, senior native.
By the way then, to sense, do you remember Spaulding's Barbara Shop, just about across Market Street from The Professional Building? That was where my mom took us for cuttin' back then. It was a three seater and I remember when they hired the lady barber.
Two thoughts: 1) Terrible time to make such a change since we’re in a pandemic, businesses are going broke and closing, and more storefronts are now vacant (at least downtown); and 2) anyone that owns a vacant property just needs to stop by once a month and turn on a faucet for 30-60 minutes. So wasting water is now encouraged by the City.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Orbit-1-Output-Port-Digital-Hose-End-Timer/50329571
Connect to cold water laundry spigot and drain into the laundry drain line
Doesn’t sound good. Needs better strategy
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it clean. No vulgar, racist, sexist or sexually-oriented language.
Engage ideas. This forum is for the exchange of ideas, not personal attacks or ad hominem criticisms.
TURN OFF CAPS LOCK.
Be civil. Don't threaten. Don't lie. Don't bait. Don't degrade others.
No trolling. Stay on topic.
No spamming. This is not the place to sell miracle cures.
No deceptive names. Apparently misleading usernames are not allowed.
Say it once. No repetitive posts, please.
Help us. Use the 'Report' link for abusive posts.