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Adams Targeting Blighted PropertiesBy Jen Thomas - April 25, 2008
iBerkshires Staff
 | | Adams wants to do something about blighted properties in town. |
ADAMS — Armed with a list of 10 blighted properties — half of which are condemned — Code Enforcement Officer Scott Koczela has presented the Board of Selectmen with a report of structures that will be considered for razing or rehabilitation in the coming months.
At their Wednesday workshop meeting, the Selectmen examined pictures of several abandoned buildings, all with severe structural damage and many considered public hazards.
"Adams is seeing an increasing number of abandoned buildings," said Koczela in an interview on Thursday. "We have to step up and do something."
A survey board — put together through a collaboration of the Board of Health and the building inspector's office — will review the properties (six of which have back taxes owed on them) and determine whether or not they can be saved.
North Adams recently established a board to review blighted neighborhoods; four properties have been ordered razed and others are expected to follow.
"One building like these really affects a neighborhood," said Koczela. "Some of these, with money, you could bring them back up."
Four of the properties are located on Summer Street, including the longtime convenience store at the corner of Summer and East Hoosac streets.
"The roof had a leak a few years ago and water started coming through the electrical fixtures," said Koczela. Now condemned, the property's roof is open and major renovations would need to be made to the interior to repair the structure.
"We went in there in the winter and there was 2 inches of ice on the floor," said Koczela.
Two other buildings on the street, 58-60 Summer and 62 Summer, are both condemned and would require extensive interior and exterior work. The commercial space at 62 Summer St., though up for sale by the owner, has not been attractive to potential buyers.
"And 58-60 is even worse on the inside than it is on the outside," said Koczela.
A property at 84 Columbia St., owned by Daniel Borer, who has come under fire for failing to maintain his properties, was abandoned after a minimal attempt at cleaning up the five-unit former mill housing. A small amount of back taxes is still owed and the property's copper piping was removed by Borer.
A single-family home at 32 Willow St. could be saved if the right buyer were interested in investing the money to rehabilitate it but Koczela has deemed the building "structurally compromised" and children have taken to breaking in and spray-painting the walls.
The Willow Street property also carries the biggest debt, with more than $13,000 owed in back taxes.
Though Koczela and Building Inspector Daniel Pelletier recognized that many of the structures were likely to be torn down, they planned on waiting at least a year before taking any action.
"Right now, we're just gathering a list," said Koczela. "The plan long term is to deal with these either by getting them rehabilitated or to remove them and, hopefully, sell the property and have a viable structure back on them."
Blighted Properties
| Address |
Status |
Taxes |
Conditions |
11 Lime St. |
Unoccupied |
$2,914.29 |
Storage building, unsound, roof partially collapsed, unsecured, neighborhood hazard |
17-23 Spring St.
|
Condemned
|
$1,187.21
|
One commercial, three residential units, code violations, owner is reported doing work inside but no permits pulled |
2 Grove St.
|
Foreclosed;
Unoccupied |
None |
Two-family, numerous code violations, attached two-car garage is unsound |
|
62 Summer St.
|
Condemned |
None |
Commercial space, unmaintained, dumping ground, potential hazard
|
92 Summer St.
|
Unoccupied |
$5042.52
|
One commercial, three residential units; outbuildings unsound, main building in disrepair and damaged by vandals
|
|
58-60 Summer St.
|
Condemned |
$1378.69
|
One commercial, three residential units, requires extensive repairs on interior and exterior |
|
60 Grove St.
|
Condemned |
None |
Four residential units, interior open to elements, structural integrity questionable
|
32 Willow St. |
Posted by Building Department as an unsafe structure |
$13,691.04 |
Single-family, open to elements and unauthorized access neighborhood hazard |
|
121 Summer St.
|
Condemned |
None |
One commercial space, walls and ceilings opened to elements, structure requires extensive rehabilitation |
|
84 Columbia St.
|
Abandoned project
|
$197.37 |
Five-unit rental property, open to elements and unauthorized access
|
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| This problem did not develop overnight. The body politic has always had a hands-off policy when it came to privately held properties (eminent domain is considered profanity in town) so without sound property management policy in town, no early intervention and a weak BOS unwilling to enforce proactively (board of health and inspectors do the best they can but they are practically toothless)...this is what ultimately happens. Yes, this is also a sign of the times but as townees know, many of these properties have been in disrepair for almost a decade or more. It's just now to a point where the town needs to react to it.....more could have been done. Do what you can now but also PLEASE take a hard look at policy and bylaws and work with the state to find a better way to enforce code and discourage landlords who only buy properties to make a quick buck, then walk. | | from: Berkshire 2 | on: 04-25-2008 |
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