ATLANTIC CITY — Out-of-town property owners have options for dealing with vacant and blighted buildings but are failing to take them, a community development leader told City Council during its Sept. 17 meeting.
Liz Terenik, executive director of the Chelsea Economic Development Corp. and a former city planner, said neglected properties are draining city resources.
At the same time, their owners reject offers to sell and pass the burden on to taxpayers.
“Taxpayers are essentially subsidizing properties by paying for police calls, fire responses and public works cleanups of the trash and blight that results from neglected buildings,” Terenik said during the public portion of the meeting. “The presence of these major eyesores lowers property values, attracts crime and conveys that Atlantic City does not care about its appearance.”
Terenik praised recent city actions to address blight but urged council to fully use the tools already on the books, such as the state’s Abandoned Properties Act. The act allows municipalities to take control of neglected buildings, renovate them and bill owners for the improvements. She also cited the city’s $500 vacant property registration fee as another underused enforcement measure.
The Chelsea EDC is working with other grassroots organizations in the Inlet, Midtown and Ducktown neighborhoods to push for stronger property owner accountability.
Terenik estimated Atlantic City has more than 1,000 vacant properties, including more than 100 in the Chelsea neighborhood alone.
Contact Buzz Keough:
609-272-7238
wkeough@pressofac.com
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