Mayor pushes for enforcement of vacant-building ordinance after Housing Authority parcel transfer

Mayor Reynolds told the council on Jan. 5 that the Lithonia Housing Authority had granted a parcel next to the Masonic Lodge to the city and said she wants an ordinance and enforcement plan to address vacant commercial properties that she said are contributing to blight.

"I need an ordinance. I need something in place for these landlords that is holding on these empty buildings all over the city," Mayor Reynolds said, asking the city attorney to draft language and the clerk to pull existing documents. She said the Housing Authority would transfer the parcel and that the property would sell to the city for $10.

Council members described enforcement challenges: code officers have been issuing fines and pursuing cases but staff capacity and legal entanglements have slowed results. Council members said some properties are tied up in litigation or federal cases and that ownership information is sometimes difficult to obtain. One council member said some owners do not respond to outreach and called them "ghost owners."

Council members suggested several responses: creating a required owner-contact form at city hall, compiling a list of vacant business properties, reviewing the current ordinance to improve enforceability and considering targeted penalties tied to tax status. The mayor and other members discussed an effective-enforcement date and noted that some ordinance provisions would not take effect until the next tax cycle in July.

Council did not take a formal vote on new enforcement measures during the meeting; the mayor asked staff to pull the ordinance and follow up with the attorney and code enforcement to prepare a proposal for council action.