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Residents press Portsmouth council on inconsistent code enforcement for vacant properties and overgrown lots
Summary
Residents and community volunteers pressed the Portsmouth City Council Wednesday over what they said are inconsistent inspections and weak enforcement of property-maintenance, vacant-structure and nuisance codes; city staff said they will convene an enforcement group and meet with residents to review specific cases.
Portsmouth City Council heard multiple residents Wednesday who said city inspections and enforcement of vacant-structure, overgrown-weeds and nuisance rules are inconsistent and leave neighborhoods unsafe.
Residents told council that city inspectors cited properties but later closed cases without compelling property owners to remove overgrowth or board damaged windows. “Residents deserve better,” said David House, a Portsmouth resident who cited specific properties and city code sections during public comment.
The concerns centered on whether city staff were applying city code 23-26 (nuisance/weeds), 17-133 (building and structure maintenance/closures), section 32-31…
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