[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village
of Clyde 7-24-2019 by L.L. No. 3-2019. Amendments noted where applicable.]
It is the intention of the Clyde Village Board to protect the
public health, safety and welfare by authorizing the establishment
of procedures to identify, abate and eliminate the presence of blight
upon properties throughout the Village.
A.
Scope. The provisions of this chapter will apply to all properties
in the incorporated portions of the Village of Clyde, residential,
commercial and otherwise, and constitute the requirements and standards
for such property.
B.
Applicability. The provisions of this chapter will be deemed to supplement
applicable state and local laws, ordinances, codes and regulations.
Nothing in this chapter will be deemed to abolish, impair, supersede
or replace existing remedies of the Village, county or state or existing
requirements of any other provision of local laws or ordinances of
the Village or county or state laws and regulations. In case of conflict
between any provisions of this chapter and any applicable state or
local law, ordinance, code or regulation, the more restrictive or
stringent provision or requirement will prevail.
Blighted property. The following conditions will be factors
in evaluating whether or not a property is designated as a blighted
property:
A.
A determination by Code Enforcement Official that the property is
dilapidated or in a condition which poses a serious threat to the
safety, health, and/or general welfare of the community: 50 points.
B.
The owner of the property has been issued an appearance ticket, summons
and/or has been prosecuted for any violation of the Code of the Village
of Clyde, and the violation(s) associated with such summons and/or
prosecution have not been corrected: 50 points.
C.
The property has attracted or been an instrument of illegal, noxious or deleterious activity as defined in § 133-7B, Public nuisances, and/or in common law: 50 points.
D.
A determination has been made by the Code Enforcement Official that
the conditions upon the property constitute a fire hazard: 50 points.
E.
The property is creating a substantial interference with the lawful
use and/or enjoyment of other space within a structure/building or
within the surrounding neighborhood: 50 points.
F.
The property is determined to be unmaintained by the Code Enforcement
Official based upon evidence of the persistent and continued existence
of the following deleterious conditions:
(1)
Boarded windows, doors, entryways or exits: five points.
(2)
Broken or unsecured windows: 10 points.
(3)
Broken or unsecured doors, entryways or exits: 10 points.
(4)
Excessive litter or debris: 10 points.
(5)
Overgrown grass at least 10 inches or higher or other overgrown vegetation
or shrubbery: 10 points.
(7)
Broken, unsecured or in disrepair:
(a)
Roof: 10 points.
(b)
Gutters: five points.
(c)
Siding, veneer or exterior cladding: 10 points.
(d)
Eaves, fascia or parapet: 10 points.
(e)
Chimney: 10 points.
(f)
Shutters: five points.
(g)
Accessory structures, including but not limited to decks, sheds,
porches, pools, pool houses or cabanas, garages, carports, storage
units, front and rear porches, outside statuary, and fish ponds: 15
points.
(8)
Storage of a junked vehicle: 15 points.
(9)
Damaged, abandoned, unsightly, unsecured or unpermitted signage or
awnings: 15 points.
(10)
Presence of graffiti: five points.
(11)
Broken, unsecured or in disrepair fencing: 10 points.
(12)
Broken, unsecured or in disrepair outdoor lighting fixtures: five
points.
(13)
Broken, exposed or hazardously utilized electrical wires, electrical
extension cords: 15 points.
(14)
Unfinished construction: 20 points.
(15)
Damaged, dead or fallen trees or limbs: 10 points.
(16)
Evidence of fire damage to the property which has not been repaired
or restored: 15 points.
(17)
Peeling or deteriorated paint: five points.
(18)
Presence of stagnant water: 10 points.
(19)
Open or unsecured wells, cesspools or cisterns: 15 points.
(20)
Presence of vermin, rodent harborage and infestation: 15 points.
(21)
Outdoor storage.
(a)
Presence within/upon an outdoor area of the improper storage
of:
[1]
Refrigerator, washing machine, sink, stove, heater, boiler,
tank, other household appliances, boxes or indoor furniture for a
period in excess of 72 consecutive hours: 10 points.
[2]
Lumber, construction materials, tires, dirt, debris, trash,
garbage or uncovered refuse cans, accumulated refuse or garbage in
covered refuse cans which is not timely or properly disposed of: 10
points.
For purposes of this chapter the following words will have the
following meanings:
A committee comprised of two Village Trustees (appointed
by the Village Mayor) and a Code Enforcement Official.
An improved or vacant lot which meets or exceeds a point
value of 100 points as set forth within this chapter.
A list containing properties within the Village which possess
an accumulation of blight conditions equaling or exceeding a point
value of 100 points.
An official charged with the enforcement and/or administration
of this chapter.
Extreme disrepair such that a structure or dwelling unit
or commercial space is unfit or unsafe for habitation or occupancy.
Any inscription, mark or design which has been written, etched,
scratched, painted or drawn or otherwise visible upon a premises.
A parcel of land or subdivided lot upon which there is a
residential, commercial, industrial, or other building or structure.
An unregistered motor vehicle not suitable for operation.
An area comprised of all premises or parcels of land any
part of which is within a radius of 600 feet of any part of another
parcel or lot within the jurisdiction.
An annual fee imposed upon properties which are listed on
the blighted property inventory list.
A legal and binding agreement between the Village and a given property owner, wherein said property owner proposes to complete specific repairs and/or improvements in order to resolve conditions existing on his or her property as identified by a Code Enforcement Official in accordance with the definition of "blighted property." Such repairs and/or improvements will be outlined on an explicitly fixed timeline and as such will be offered a full exemption from the annual registration fee outlined in § 63-6D. The Blight Committee will have the authority, on behalf of the Village, to execute such restoration agreement.
A parcel of land or subdivided lot with no structure(s) thereon
except utilities.
No owner, agent, tenant, business entity, voluntary association,
nonprofit organization, or person in control of real property located
within the Village of Clyde shall allow, create, maintain or cause
to be created or maintained, any blighted property.
A.
The Code Enforcement Official will be charged with reviewing complaints
and conducting investigations in order to determine if blight exists
at the subject property.
B.
Once a property has been determined to be blighted, the Code Enforcement
Official will prepare and send out a violation notice to the property
owner. Such notice will be served by means of first-class mail, to
the last known address as shown on the records of the Town Assessor,
and by securely affixing a copy of such notice upon the door of the
affected building or structure, unless the property is a vacant parcel,
in which case the notice shall be placed on the property upon a wooden
stake installed so as to be plainly visible from a public way.
C.
Notice contents.
(1)
The notice must contain a statement of the date(s) upon which an
inspection was conducted on the property to determine blight, the
address of the blighted property, the specific nature of the blight,
a copy of this chapter, the point rating review of the premises, the
required annual registration fees and the property's placement
on the blighted property inventory list. Said notice will further
notify the owner that if no reasonable proof is offered establishing
the property does not constitute a blighted property, said annual
registration fee will be added to the Village property tax bill for
the premises after 30 days of the date of said notice.
(2)
Any notice to qualifying property owners must also contain an offer
of the opportunity to enter into a restoration agreement with the
Village.
D.
Registration fee. If, after 30 days from the date of the notice described
above, sufficient proof is not presented to establish that all blight
conditions have been remediated, a registration fee of $3,000 will
be imposed and added to the Village tax bill for any improved or vacant
lot deemed a blighted property.
E.
Any surplus administrative, mitigation or registration costs imposed
by the Village will be used to create a beautification fund, with
the intent of financing the Village's revitalization and anti-blight
efforts.
A.
Property owner qualifications. In order to qualify to enter into
a restoration agreement, the property owner must have no other outstanding
violations or bona fide complaints on file with the Code Enforcement
Official.
B.
Restoration agreement contents. All restoration agreements will include
a definite plan for the resolution of all blight conditions existing
on the blighted premises as identified by a Code Enforcement Official.
C.
Such repairs and/or improvements will be outlined on an explicitly
fixed timeline.
D.
Registration fee exemption. In consideration for entering into a restoration agreement with the Village, the property owner will be offered a full exemption from the annual registration fee(s) set forth in § 63-6D above.
E.
Penalties for noncompliance with restoration agreement terms. Any property owner who does not complete the repairs and/or improvements outlined in a restoration agreement within the established timeline, or otherwise fails to comply with any and all provisions of a restoration agreement, will be subject to the actions described in § 63-9.
Any entity and/or individual that purchases a property registered
on the Village's blighted property inventory list may be offered
certain incentives from the Village.
A.
All incentives are at the complete and absolute discretion of the
Blight Committee. The factors to be considered in granting an incentive
include, but are not limited, to the following: The rating of the
purchased property, the location of the purchased property, the degree
of repair and development necessary, the impact of the proposed project
on the Village's economy, the environmental condition of the
project site(s), and the applicant's liability and other insurance
coverage.
B.
Incentives may include, but are not limited to, a 25% reduction of
certain permit and/or application fees to be collected by the Village
of Clyde and/or an acceleration of the processing of certain permits
as issued by the Village of Clyde.
C.
Applicants for an incentive must demonstrate the ability to pay for
their proposed projects either through commitment letters for loans
obtained from a commercial lender of their selection or through the
availability of developer funds.
D.
Any request for an incentive will be made by a property owner making
a written request to the Village of Clyde Building and Code Enforcement
Office. Any such request may not be made until after an application
has been made for a building permit for the blighted property at issue,
or an application has been made to initiate an administrative process
which would enable the submission of a building permit application
(such administrative processes include, but are not limited to, the
change of zone process, application for a variance from the Zoning
Board of Appeals, and/or site plan review).
A.
Failure to comply with a restoration agreement. Whenever the owner
of a property will fail to comply with an executed restoration agreement,
the Village Board may authorize and arrange for completion of the
work required to be done under the terms of the restoration agreement
and will provide for the cost thereof to be paid from general Village
funds as directed by resolution of the Village Board. Additionally,
failure to comply with an executed restoration agreement will result
in the placement or retention of the property on the blighted property
inventory list and the imposition of the corresponding annual registration
fees applicable for each year that the offending conditions exist
or remain.
B.
Authority to abate in the absence of a restoration agreement. In
the event that an owner and/or occupant of such land or premises will
fail to abate any violation as described in the definition of "blighted
property" contained herein, the Village Board, after consideration
at a public hearing, may declare said premises to be a nuisance and
thereafter, the Village Board will have the authority to enter onto
such premises where such violation exists, to remedy such violation
and to charge the cost or expense of such remediation against the
owner and establish a lien in the manner provided herein.
C.
Assessment of costs and expenses, liens. A summary of all costs and
expenses incurred by the Village in connection with the abatement
of a violation of this chapter will be provided by the Blight Committee
to the Village Board for review. The total costs and expenses incurred
will then be finally determined by the Village Attorney, after consultation
with the Village Board, and will be reported to the Village Tax Collector.
The amount determined by the Village Attorney will then be added to
the Village tax bill and assessed against the property, and the expense
so assessed will constitute a lien and charge on the premises on which
it is levied until paid or otherwise satisfied or discharged.
