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Planning Commission asks Selectboard to consider derelict and abandoned buildings ordinance
Summary
Commissioners discussed a potential derelict/abandoned buildings ordinance — including whether it would cover barns and sheds and whether replacements like Revival Kitchen would be grandfathered — and voted to ask the Selectboard whether it wants to pursue an ordinance.
Commissioners discussed a proposed derelict/abandoned buildings ordinance and expressed concerns about scope and authority. Issues raised included whether the ordinance would apply to barns and sheds on private property, whether it could effectively create a homeowner-association-style enforcement regime, and whether the topic was as much a health-and-safety concern as an aesthetic one.
Pamela J. Spaulding moved to ask the Selectboard whether there is interest in creating an ordinance addressing abandoned/derelict buildings; Brent Bammarito seconded and the motion passed unanimously. Commissioners noted they had sample ordinances from towns including Windham, Cavendish, Wilmington, Readsboro and Wallingford to inform the Selectboard and staff review. Patty Eisenhaur, chair of the Housing Commission, also raised the loss of Revival Kitchen and asked whether a new building would have to conform to any new bylaws or would be grandfathered.
