Mayor Lester Miller, county officers target burned buildings in blight plan

Miller says 64 house owners of burned, blighted structures should be notified to take motion, or the county will step in

MACON, Ga. — Macon-Bibb County is taking a step ahead within the fight against blight. Many people dwelling in the county say it be considered one of their appropriate concerns. Friday, Mayor Lester Miller announced a brand new plan aimed at tackling the issue.

The plan Mayor Lester Miller announced is notably targeting burned, blighted buildings which can be declared a nuisance under county law.

"We must do this one condominium at a time, one road at a time," Miller referred to. 

Code enforcement has begun with an inventory of 849 addresses the place the fire branch has obtained structure hearth calls. they are nevertheless working through that list however plan to notify sixty four owners to remove their burned, blighted buildings.

"And if and after they do not, we will act consequently," Miller stated. 

Miller says their plan to bust blight is records-driven. The county confirmed maps of the place constitution fires had been between 2016 and 2020 and the place those 64 burned and blighted structures are.

"Houston Avenue, the Triple Hill enviornment, and all up Antioch road," Miller noted pointing at the map of the areas with burned, blighted buildings. "here is where the information has taken us and this where we're going to begin."

Miller says the county will send out the letters to these 64 homeowners Monday, and they will have 10 days to respond. 

"The mayor can make this choice on their own. in response to the law, we're not required to send a ten day note out. we will start to tear down these homes immediately if he chose to. although, we trust it’s best reasonable to ship out relevant notification to those homeowners to give them the alternatives to treatment the condition on their own before we start this manner," Miller noted. 

If owners don't take action, the county says they'll beginning the legal procedure, working towards demolishing the structures, but first, Macon-Bibb will should investigate each for asbestos. reckoning on those results, Miller says they will movement forward with tearing down the buildings, after which charging the house owners with liens on those properties.

Miller brought that he hopes the county can take motion on the first 64 houses by using might also-- no matter if it is the owners taking down the structure, or if the owners do not reply, the county demolishing the constructing. 

As for combating these burned constructions from changing into blight, Miller says the fireplace branch will now notify code enforcement when there's a structure fire name. 

The mayor says this plan will now not cost taxpayers extra. they'll use money that is already within the budget, as well as from the blight remediation cash and cash from the tax commissioner's subsequent tax sale.