Run-down homes concern Canandaigua planners

The sight of unkempt and/or abandoned houses in the city is not OK with officials, staff or residents. Trouble is, there's nothing on the books to handle the problem.

But there will be - eventually.

The city's Planning Commission discussed the issue of property maintenance at length Tuesday night, and agreed more information is needed before laws dealing with dilapidated buildings can be drafted.

A staff report describing 14 eyesores told everybody what they already knew: These places are in varying degrees of neglect and decay, but they are not illegal.

Commission members say there's been "political avoidance of pointing people out," but member Doug Finch asked what harm would there be in labeling a blight a blight?

And something good could come out of it - property deemed by a municipality to be blighted would likely qualify for federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds, according to Planning Director Richard Brown.

Last month, the commission looked at the problem citywide, and on Tuesday members agreed to research what labeling something blighted means legally for the owner, the city and neighbors.

Several questions were posed: What would be the criteria for labeling a property blighted? What about vacant eyesores versus equally ugly ones that are occupied? Should the city buy the vacant house - or seize it through eminent domain - and fix it up for Habitat for Humanity? Or tear it down and build a new house for a first-time homebuyer's program?

"It's the gut check," said commission Chairman Richard Russell.

And there are other considerations, too. Designated "brownfield" properties, or sewage seepage in some cases, can impact how a property can be dealt with.

Commission members also discussed how mobile homes fit into the picture - they are exempt from local housing standards but must meet state standards, which are typically lower.

Despite the questions and unknowns, the commission was clear that run-down properties are not acceptable. It's not if they will be dealt with - it's how, and how soon.

Billie Owens can be reached at (585) 394-0770, Ext. 320, or at bowens@mpnewspapers.com.