Vacant property registation plans unanimously approved by St. Clair Planning Board

 

St. Clair, MO: After a series of complaints from residents concerned about dangerous structures, a vacant property ordinance proposal was brought up in May before the city’s planning and zoning board. After months of examination of the matter, the board is moving ahead, with final approval likely within the month.

 

The proposal calls for registration of the vacant property by those in its charge, penalties for failure to register a property, inspection requirements, maintenance requirements, a proposal from owners for repair plans, rules for the sale of a property deemed vacant, and an annual $150 registration fee, among others.

 

Additionally, according to Article IV, Section 6-61 the city code, “Where a dangerous building is 50 percent damaged or decayed, or deteriorated from its original value or structure, it shall be demolished, and in all cases where a building cannot be repaired so that it will no longer exist in violation of the terms of this article, it shall be demolished.”

 

The proposal will set procedures for building inspectors to better respond to requests from residents to evaluate “vacant property,” as currently the rules for such structures are not regularly pursued, or laid out, and can require approval from the city’s municipal court to enter suspect properties.

 

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