blight

The city will continue to use the Department of Public Works to addres code violations, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The abundance of abandoned, overgrown, and illegal dumping is dragging down property values, contributing to health problems and harboring crime.

The city will continue to bill owners or place liens on properties to try to recoup its costs for cleaning up the abandoned properties. This is good news for homeowners in Church Hill, who anxiously await for neglected properties to be cleaned up.

"A new, wooden fence concealed an ugly truth at 506 Chimborazo Blvd. in Richmond's East End.

Mosquito-infested brush, broken glass and construction debris were strewn in large piles across the yard behind the vacant, two-story house.

Michael Evins, a grounds division manager in the Department of Public Works, paused in his vehicle off a narrow alley and said the yard appeared to be a dumpsite for much of the neighborhood. Then, he sized up the magnitude of yet another cleanup job -- more than three large truckloads of debris, requiring a skilled crew and a Bobcat loader.

'It's a tinderbox waiting to happen,' he said of the hazardous mess.

Last month, Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced a program to eliminate a backlog of about 250 neglected and blighted properties that have been flagged for cleanup by the city.

Officials say the work on the properties, scheduled to wrap up this month, is part of what will be a more efficient response by the city to problems caused by negligent, often-absentee property owners. For example, city property records list the owner of the house on Chimborazo at an address in Fredericksburg."

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Rocky Mount town officials are equipped with some new legal tools to help rid the town of blighted properties by demolishing or renovating them, according to The Franklin News Post.

The town would establish a real estate tax abatement program for the properties that are renovated or demolished. The real estate taxes could be abated for a maximum of five years to cover either the cost of demolition or the difference in the property value caused by the improvements. The real estate tax abatement is transferable to new owners, so it makes an incentive to potential purchasers. The second option for eliminating blight is for the town to contract to have the property demolished or renovated. Town officials can declare a property as derelict, then contract to fix the property at town expense, Hankins said. The town can then place a lien against the property to recover the cost.

This is great news for homeowners in Rocky Mount who live near blighted properties. Initiatives like these have been successful in other parts of the state in cleaning up neighborhoods and increasing property values.

"Rocky Mount town officials are making a survey of the town's housing stock to determine where to direct neighborhood stabilization efforts.

'We're already aware of most of the problem areas, but we want to make sure nothing is overlooked,' said Assistant Town Manager Matt Hankins.

'This survey is in anticipation of requesting funding for the (housing) program in the fiscal 2011 budget,' he said. Hankins said the goal is to take a long-term approach to stabilize neighborhoods over the next 10-15 years by addressing the most critical areas first.

Over time, probably within five years, the town should be able to build a working capital fund to eliminate blight issues as they arise, he said. This will also put people to work at local manufacturers and contractors, he said."

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