Denison Main Street leaders set public panel on vacant-building registry; ordinance aims to incentivize rehabilitation

The Main Street Advisory Board reviewed a draft vacant-building registry and ordinance designed to encourage rehabilitation of long-vacant downtown properties and announced a public panel for Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. in the city chambers where proponents and opponents can present views.

Members acknowledged public concern over language circulating online citing a "$2,000 a day" figure; Speaker 7 said those amounts are legal maximums found in many ordinances but that judges typically set penalties lower. "$2,000 a day is something that's in every ordinance or the majority of them... That's something legal put in there," Speaker 7 said while urging people to attend the Nov. 18 panel.

Speakers described the ordinance as intended to incentivize activity and to offer targeted grant programs and façade or rehabilitation assistance for priority sites. Committee members named several candidate properties for targeted support (including the Rialto, a local hotel and a property referenced as the 'traveler[s]' building) and said the Jameson Development Foundation and other grant programs could be leveraged. Speakers noted exemptions or grandfathering for some existing uses, and that final authority lies with city council.

Next steps: A public meeting/panel is scheduled for Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. in chambers to present the ordinance, allow property owners and residents to ask questions, and hear testimony; staff will provide the ordinance text to stakeholders ahead of the panel.