8/12/14 Millersburg council looks closer at building registry

  • By Nick Sabo
  • August 12, 2014
  • 361
                        
SUMMARY: Council Monday Aug. 11 discussed helping sell vacant storefronts by boosting advertising using bed tax dollars and getting the advice of realtors. Millersburg village council is looking for guidance on a proposed registry that would fine the owners of vacant buildings. A draft resolution establishing a vacant building registry has so far brought mostly negative reactions from building owners, Village Administrator Nate Troyer said. “The one comment I’ve heard (repeatedly is) ‘We don’t make these buildings vacant by choice’,” Troyer, speaking at council’s Aug. 11 meeting, said. Vacant building registries are in use in several Ohio municipalities. By fining the owners of buildings left vacant, and requiring a stated amount of maintenance, the registry ideally works as an incentive for property owners to keep storefronts viable, or sell them off to a new owner who will keep them up. Troyer said property owners have implied that the registry “might not be the best way to go about” decreasing vacancies downtown. Millersburg’s draft ordinance defines a building as vacant if it “is not occupied by its owner, lessee or other person in lawful possession, or at which substantially all lawful business operations have ceased, or which is substantially devoid of content”. The owner of the vacant building would be fined $400 for the first year, with the fine doubling every subsequent year the building is empty. Council discussed options that might tone down the registry, which Troyer said is “pretty heavy-handed”. Troyer said he “understands” why building owners might have objections to it. Councilmember Brent Hofstetter suggested using bed tax dollars to promote vacant buildings that are are up for sale. Hofstetter suggested targeted advertising that goes beyond the usual listings. Council President Jim Beechy said it might be beneficial to get input from a realtor. “I kind of like the idea of bringing in a realtor,” Beechy said. “Maybe they can come in with a perspective that we don’t have that is more proactive.” The definition for a vacant building already in the ordinance could be made even more specific, Village Solicitor Bob Hines said. Hines said a stated period of time could be added -12 months, for example- that would have to elapse before the building can be deemed vacant. Troyer further suggested buildings with empty storefronts but that have another area being used not be considered vacant. For example, if a storefront is empty, but an upstairs apartment is occupied, the building would not be considered vacant. “It is in use, it is generating revenues,” Troyer said. Hines said that vacancy rates could also be addressed if the village were to adopt an ordinance that would allow for the village to take buildings in a “blighted area” via imminent domain. The village would give fair market value for the building and could do with it as they pleased, Hines said. Troyer said the proposed building registry ordinance will be posted on the village website for building owners to view.


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