AGENDA DATE: 12/16/2020
TITLE:
Title
Options to Address Blight and Building Maintenance
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Work session to discuss various property maintenance options
ITEM TYPE: Regular Action Item
STAFF CONTACTS: Richardson, Walker, Kamptner, Herrick, Filardo, McCulley, Dellinger, Svoboda
PRESENTERS: Andy Herrick, Amelia McCulley
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: The Board's FY 20-22 Strategic Plan envisions a community with active and vibrant development areas. It identifies revitalizing "aging urban neighborhoods" as one of the Board's high priorities. A stated goal of the County's Comprehensive Plan is that our Development Areas will be vibrant active places with attractive neighborhoods. The presence of blighted and deteriorated properties can have an economic and environmental impact on property and lead to criminal activities and other public nuisances.
"Blighted property" is defined as a structure or improvement that is dilapidated, or deteriorated because it violates the minimum health and safety standards (Virginia Code ? 36-3). Though blight is more often considered in the context of development areas; it exists also in the Rural Areas.
As outlined in Attachment A, the Community Development Department (CDD) currently administers several regulations that relate to blight and building maintenance:
* uncontrolled vegetation (County Code ? 7-501 et seq.)
* stagnant water (County Code ? 7-505 et seq.)
* inoperable vehicles (County Code ? 9-500)
* trash and refuse (County Code ? 13-302)
* safety/health-related upkeep of residential rental properties (Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) ? 104.1), and
* unsafe buildings and structures (County Code ? 5-300 et seq.)
* Zoning Ordinance provisions that prohibit junk yards and the keeping of inoperable vehicles.
In addition, a more recently enabled regulation enforced by the Albemarle County Police Department relates to parking on sec...
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