Blight committee ponders razing sound structures --

[JaxUnicorn]

Kay, go ahead and call Denise Lee and see what she says about that. It had been suggested through e-mails and more and yet, it got it's first reading.  They want this and they want to circumvent the historic protections. If you listens to the Blight Committee at all, you will also know that the mayors office wanted the time period shorter than 36 months and they got it to 2 years from Ms Lee.  The big questions should be why?  Why is the ability to demolish houses this easily so important?  Why is eliminating the affordable housing stock in the urban core so important? 

I agree, this makes absolutely no sense to me. I see no logical motivation whatsoever. The act of letting a building be properly mothballed and stand in peace for an indefinite period of time hurts no one, even the immediate neighbors. I would wager it doesn't hurt the adjacent property's resale value any more than tearing it down would.

If anyone has a clue on this, please let us know.

Anyone.....ANYONE HAVE A CLUE???  Nope, didn't think so. 

[sheclown]

The older structures (50 plus years) which fall into a federal protection against being adversely affected by federal grants, also have a tendency to have asbestos in the building components.

Any city-wide initiative to demolish these structures will also have to take this in account -- beginning with the survey and the proper notification to EQD and others.  The city has a terrible record of complying with the environmental requirements involved in demolishing structures to ensure compliance with asbestos regulations.

Additionally Health Zone one is an EPA designated environmental justice community --

What is Environmental Justice?

Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. EPA has this goal for all communities and persons across this Nation. It will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work. 

http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/

In other words...don't screw over the urban core by not following anti-pollution policies.

[sheclown]

It is important to note that any structures demolished (other than single family by individuals) must go through the proper notification process to check for compliance with environmental issues (REGARDLESS OF FUNDING SOURCES). 

Here is the EPA determination letter:





Refer to this thread for more info:
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php?topic=20391.0

According to extensive research done by Kim Pryor, the city has a history of skirting NESHAP guidelines in the past.  Should the city decide to demolish hundreds of older homes, eyes will be on them to make sure THIS TIME they are following all NESHAP requirements.

So, should the city decide to demolish these structures, it will have to meet all NESHAP regulations -- the cost of these demolitions and the proper disposal of asbestos containing materials will have to be factored into the cost of this "blight removing" strategy. 

[sheclown]

And for what its worth, there still remains an outstanding asbestos violation against code enforcement.

[Noone]

Additionally Health Zone one is an EPA designated environmental justice community --


What is Environmental Justice?

Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. EPA has this goal for all communities and persons across this Nation. It will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work. 

Environmental Ethics - Clean and Green, JAX 2025
Environmental Ethics- Vince Seibold
Regulatory Compliance Director
2013-384 The armory for a buck a year and zero access to Hogans Creek. Legislation withdrawn. Environmental Justice Community?

[sheclown]

  2014-427
   

ORD-MC Amend Sec 518.111 (Definitions) to add New Subsec (M) to add as an Unsafe Structure those Non-Historic Bldgs that have been Boarded Up, Have No Active Water or Electric Svc for a Period Exceeding 24 Months; Amend Sec 518.205 (Boarding of Vacant Bldgs or Dwellings) to Require that such Bldgs Exceeding the 24 Month period shall be Abated by the City in Accordance with Demo Procedures of Chapt 518, Part 3. (Shaw) (Introduced by CM Crescimbeni, Lee & Jones)

Public Hearing Pursuant to Chapt 166, F.S. & CR 3.601 - 7/22/14


   

1. 6/24/2014 CO  Introduced: R,TEU, RCDPHS (Per CP 6/25/14)

PUBLIC HEARING THIS TUESDAY NIGHT.

Please attend.

If you cannot be there, then email or sign the petition.

http://www.change.org/petitions/chris-hand-vote-against-amending-section-518-111-under-property-safety-and-nuisance-abatement?share_id=QWbpPlotQT&utm_campaign=share_button_chat&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition

Don't "LaVilla" the entire urban core.

[sheclown]

Three issues:

1.) property rights

2.) sustainability (and loss of affordable housing stock)

3.) historic preservation -- while it claims not to affect historic structures the last page states:

"Property owners of non-emergency condemned properties that are locally designated or listed on the National Register of Historic Places shall be notified of the OPTION to mothball their buildings and be given 60 days to respond.  The city will hold in abeyance enforcement or corrective measures until that 60 day time period expires."

All Tarpon properties are toast.  Including the properties in Springfield.

any doubt what "corrective measures" refers to?

[sheclown]

last night's council meeting:

http://media.coj.net/City_Council/Council_7-22-14.wmv

the ordinance's public hearing begins at 3:06:53

[strider]

I took particular interest in Councilman's Jones's defensive posture when addressing council.  To begin with, hard to believe he did not know it effects historic districts and landmarks when he was part of the group that wrote the ordinance.   That also begs the question, why is the summary for this ordinance so incorrect?  The summary certainly would lead anyone to believe it is only non-historic structures and yet the writers of the ordinance made sure they included the landmarks and historic structures. Were they being purposefully deceitful because they were hoping no one would notice? 

But back to Councilman Jones.  He tried to make the point that he has had folks come up to him and complain that they have been living next to abandoned houses for years, he mentioned 7 and 8 years, and they are tired of it and of how others may take advantage of those abandoned houses.  I have no doubt that it is true. However, let's take a closer look at what that really means.

Jacksonville is an entitlement city so it gets millions of Federal dollars to improve the issues in these poorer neighborhoods.  And has been getting those millions for years.  NSP1 and NSP3 brought in something in the realm of 30 million all by themselves.  Just to improve those poorer communities. 

It seems to me that if Jacksonville had been a good steward of those millions, these poorer neighborhoods would have been much improved and those abandoned houses would have been already addressed, since that is exactly the purpose of NSP funds. Instead, here we are, talking about plowing down communities rather than building them back up. 

HUD did their little audit recently and found that Jacksonville is simply incapable of  following proper procedures and insuring things were done properly.  This latest from the Blight committee seems to be doing nothing but reinforcing the HUD determinations and continuing the bad polices that continue to hurt the poorer neighborhoods rather then help them in any way. 

[Jumpinjack]

Very good points, Strider. The city needs to get a grip on revitalizing neighborhoods and it won't be done by demolition or by allowing abandoned houses to rot away. I am still advocating for the creation of a land bank to prepare properties for resale.

[JaxUnicorn]

So how do we (we have no power really) make sure our City uses entitlement funds properly AND does not destroy our neighborhoods???  I wish I had just a little power to fix this....

[sheclown]

Kay Ehas and crew are presenting to the blight committee this morning at nine -- reasons why this ordinance is a bad idea.

Head over to city hall if you can.  They have worked very hard on this important issue.

Additionally, the HPC wrote a response to this ordinance which focused on the idea that YES this DOES affect historic properties and, in fact, circumvents the protections currently offered to these historic properties.

[sheclown]

From sources deep inside the blight committee meeting:

God save me.  Lee upended the agenda and took item 3 first, and we're still on it...more camera

[sheclown]

Now she's got the lawyer explaining the ordinance.   Kay's gonna lose her mind

[sheclown]

Lawyer claims doesn't affect historic.   I could just scream