Proposed New Philadelphia ordinance requires vacant building owners to register with city

Jon Baker, The Times-Reporter
·2 min read

NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ City council gave first reading Monday to an ordinance that would require the owners of vacant residential, commercial and industrial properties to register them with the city as a method to control blight in New Philadelphia.

Owners would be required to register buildings within 90 days after they become vacant. The owners also would be required to pay an annual fee to cover the costs of the city monitoring the vacant buildings.

An ordinance being considered by New Philadelphia City Council would require property owners to register buildings within 90 days after they become vacant. The measure is seen as a way of combatting blight in the city. This house at 232 Third St. SW has been condemned.
An ordinance being considered by New Philadelphia City Council would require property owners to register buildings within 90 days after they become vacant. The measure is seen as a way of combatting blight in the city. This house at 232 Third St. SW has been condemned.

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Residential owners would pay $150 the first year the building was vacant. The fee would double each year until it reached a maximum of $2,400 in year five. The owners of commercial buildings would pay a fee of $300 the first year the building was vacant. Like the fee for residential buildings, this one would double every year until it reached a maximum of $4,800.

The interior of a condemned home at 232 Third Street SW in New Philadelphia can be seen through the front door on Monday. An ordinance being considered by New Philadelphia City Council would require property owners to register buildings within 90 days after they become vacant.
The interior of a condemned home at 232 Third Street SW in New Philadelphia can be seen through the front door on Monday. An ordinance being considered by New Philadelphia City Council would require property owners to register buildings within 90 days after they become vacant.

The ordinance was discussed during a meeting of council's Public Works and Economic Development Committee prior to the regular council session.

A nudge to property owners

Service Director Ron McAbier told council members that the ordinance is designed to nudge properties owners into taking action.

New Philadelphia officials have been working in recent years to tackle the problem of abandoned and blighted buildings in the city. This house at 232 Third St. SW has been condemned.
New Philadelphia officials have been working in recent years to tackle the problem of abandoned and blighted buildings in the city. This house at 232 Third St. SW has been condemned.

Law Director Marvin Fete said he is confident that the ordinance will hold up in court.

"I'm anxious to get it on the books because it's another tool in our toolbox to go after these blighted properties that are being used for drugs and homeless issues and are a danger to our communities," he said.

Flyers for people in need of addiction support are displayed on an improvised table on Monday in an area of New Philadelphia where multiple vacant homes have been taken over and condemned by the city.
Flyers for people in need of addiction support are displayed on an improvised table on Monday in an area of New Philadelphia where multiple vacant homes have been taken over and condemned by the city.

New Philadelphia officials have been working in recent years to tackle the problem of abandoned and blighted buildings in the city. Fire Capt. Jim Sholtz, the city's fire inspector, and Josh Mathias, New Philadelphia's zoning and building code administrator, have been using the International Property Maintenance Code, enacted by council in 2018, and other ordinances to force landlords to either fix up dilapidated properties or tear them down.

City officials hope to have the vacant property registration ordinance enacted by the end of the year.

A condemned home at 229 St. Clair Avenue SW is one of many on a list of properties to be addressed by the City of New Philadelphia.
A condemned home at 229 St. Clair Avenue SW is one of many on a list of properties to be addressed by the City of New Philadelphia.

The city of Dover already requires the owners of vacant buildings to register with the city. Dover charges similar fees to those included in the New Philadelphia ordinance.

Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Fighting blight: Vacant building owners may have to register buildings