Freeport again looks to Vacant Property Registration

Freeport, IL: The negative impact of dilapidated buildings to safety and value of neighborhoods, along with the frequent use of such properties for criminal activities, has moved leaders in Freeport to return to efforts to create a vacant property registration ordinance.

Under the proposal to be presented August 18 to the City Council, any unoccupied building in an unsecured or boarded-up state, and any condemned or unoccupied building where criminal activity has occurred within the prior six months, can be declared a hazard and therefore subject to the proposed vacant property ordinance.

The proposed start date for the ordinance is November 1, in order to utilize the following winter time frame to help the transition into vacant property registration, inspection, and further action.

The details of vacant property registration, fees involved, and how to go about proposals for remediation or demolition remain undecided. The project was previously rejected in 2012 due in part to a lack of consensus as to how to enforce the ordinance.

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