Downtown advocates press council on vacant-building ordinance; council agrees to revisit options

Bobby Bridal of the Downtown Pullman Association urged the City Council on Sept. 23 to adopt a vacant-building ordinance to address widespread storefront vacancies and exterior blight in the eight-block downtown core.

“There is a need, for tools to help Downtown Pullman rebuild. An empty building ordinance is 1 of those tools the DPA needs,” Bridal said during the non-agenda public comment period, citing more than a dozen vacant storefronts and deteriorating exteriors that, he said, deter investment.

Council members followed with a broad discussion during the regular agenda item. Councilmember Fujairah said the issue had been discussed previously and asked whether the council has appetite to pursue an ordinance now; she asked for volunteers to work with staff to draft a Pullman-appropriate version. Two council members signaled willingness to work directly with Fujairah.

City legal counsel cautioned that such ordinances carry litigation risk, noting that challenges can be costly to litigate. Counsel said a ballpark starting cost to defend litigation could be “in excess of $100,000,” and advised the council the city has not yet received binding appellate guidance on the legal questions raised by similar ordinances in other jurisdictions.

Council members voiced conflicting priorities: several said some regulation is needed to protect downtown appearance and economic vitality, while others urged caution because overly prescriptive standards could expose the city to legal challenges. One council member suggested seeking middle-ground standards that avoid overly punitive language while still giving the city a tool to encourage maintenance and reuse.

Outcome: Council did not adopt an ordinance at the meeting. Councilmember Fujairah said she will work with staff and two council colleagues to develop draft options for future consideration; the council gave no formal direction for staff to prepare ordinance language at this meeting.

Why this matters: Downtown storefront vacancy and building condition affect local business vitality and the city’s Main Street objectives. Advocates said an ordinance could help preserve building exteriors, spur reinvestment and enable use of Main Street B&O tax credit tools.

What’s next: Fujairah will meet with staff and two council members to develop a proposal; any draft would come back to council for public discussion and possible formal action in a future meeting.