The Watertown City
Council has devoted a great deal of time and discussion to ways to
improve the appearance of the city, including adopting a property
maintenance code.
The council has committed the city to
help rehabilitate an east-side neighborhood in cooperation with
Neighbors of Watertown, and the city intends to demolish several
former homes and businesses that have become eyesores and present
health and safety hazards.
The costs, however, can be exorbitant.
Demolishing five buildings identified as the most dilapidated
structures in the city will cost $500,000.
Similar properties can be found
throughout the city and will require hundreds of thousands of
dollars to demolish or renovate. Many of the properties have been
abandoned or taken over by the city for back taxes and it is
unlikely that the city will recover its costs.
Ridding the city of abandoned properties
will be a costly program, one that is unfortunately constrained by
the fiscal crisis confronting the city. Despite this, the council
and city management should seek funds to raze abandoned structures.
Across the country, other cities are
putting in place long-term programs to demolish unoccupied,
substandard housing and other buildings and clear the way for
alternative uses.
Smaller parcels are being combined into
larger ones to improve their chances of resale; in other cities, the
vacant land is being divided up among adjacent property owners.
Watertown officials need to think as
well about different ways to put the vacant property to use.
Perhaps, splitting it up among landowners wanting a larger yard
would be a solution, thus putting the parcels back on the tax rolls.
Or would the property be more suitable for a small, neighborhood
park?
The effort to rid the city of blight and
substandard housing is commendable. It will take forward thinking to
reduce blight, improve city neighborhoods and enhance property
values.
Saturday, July 13, 2002