Residents weigh in on property ordinance
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Recommend ThisPublic forum allows for input on maintenance guidelines
By Preston Knight -- pknight@nvdaily.com
STRASBURG -- The Town Council will again be walking a tightrope to develop written standards for ensuring that properties are well kept.
About 30 residents attended a public forum on a proposed property maintenance ordinance Wednesday night. Zoning Administrator Laura Ferramosca has worked on the document since the issue of how much say government should have on someone's property became heated recently with the ongoing development of historic district guidelines.
Wednesday's meeting had less tension than that of the first historic guidelines hearing in the spring, but concerns raised were just as important. Primarily, some residents fear that fining people for failure to maintain their properties will only hurt those residents more because they are likely on fixed incomes anyway.
Sandy Rogers includes herself in that list. She said the only way to repair her house would be to bulldoze it, and she cannot afford all the changes that are likely needed.
"You're depriving people of their ability to have their own homes," Rogers said.
According to the proposal, town staff, upon receiving a complaint about a property that has any number of exterior safety hazards, would conduct an inspection. If a violation is found, the owner would have 30 days to make repairs, and if he or she fails to do so, faces a $50 fine per violation for every 30 days until the work is complete.
All of the required repairs deal with structural matters that would be harmful to the public. Some interior issues are also included, but those are primarily in cases where there are landlord-tenant disputes, Ferramosca said.
The property maintenance ordinance would catch properties before they become blighted, she said. It is complaint driven and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, officials said.
Resident Conley Crabill said those on fixed incomes should be allowed to provide a financial report showing that they cannot afford repairs, if violations are found. Fining them would be of no help, he said. Councilman Carlyle Swafford later agreed with that statement, and also requested that the 30-day period to make repairs be extended to 45.
Another resident, Staton Strother, suggested that the "thug-a-mugs" at the Shenandoah County Jail be used to do such repairs, saving residents money. Town officials, including Swafford, said it would be nice if the community rallied together to help those in need.
That would mean an ordinance is in place, though, and work is left to be done. Officials will take the comments from the forum and review the property proposal later.
"This is going to have a big impact," Rogers said.
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Now the town thinks it has the right to demand a financial statement???? I think it's time for somebody to explore the legal options when town residents can be harassed but out-of-town developers are left alone. Maybe we homeowners should be able to fine council members everytime our homes take another drop in value because of their short-sightedness (or was in greed or gullibility?)