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Atwater council asks staff to study vacant commercial-building ordinance after public debate
Summary
After a staff presentation reviewing other cities' approaches, Atwater City Council voted to direct staff to study a vacant commercial building ordinance, including staffing, fees and enforcement options; the council emphasized targeting problem properties and considering incentives rather than citywide penalties.
The Atwater City Council on July 14 directed staff to study the feasibility of a vacant commercial building ordinance and return with more detailed recommendations within roughly two months.
Community Development Director John O'Connor told the council the proposal would require registration, maintenance standards, security measures and inspections and could include annual fees, escalating fines and civil penalties. He reviewed examples from Pasadena, Santa Cruz, Vallejo, Richmond and Berkeley and warned that enforcement could be resource-intensive and that the ordinance might face legal or political pushback if not carefully tailored.
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