BIDDEFORD — The Biddeford City Council gave final approval to a downtown anti-blight ordinance at its meeting on Tuesday.

The ordinance, approved in an 8-1 vote, is designed to encourage downtown development, preserve property values and promote public health.

“The existence of blighted premises in the Downtown of Biddeford will adversely affect property values and development within the Downtown and threatens the health, safety, general welfare and economic well-being of its residents and commercial interests,” the ordinance reads.

Councilor Michael Swanton opposed the ordinance. In the council’s Feb. 7 meeting, he said he wouldn’t want to impose regulations on property owners he couldn’t manage himself, such as paint on his house — although City Manager Jim Bennett said the definition of blight goes beyond just paint.

“I won’t be supporting this because I can’t pass it,” Swanton said at that meeting.

The ordinance defines blighted properties as those that cause obvious depreciation to property values in the downtown area, and that are factors in creating a substantial and unreasonable interference with the reasonable and lawful use and enjoyment of other space within the building.

In addition, buildings may be classified as blighted if they are not maintained or remain unoccupied for at least 90 days and display a number of characteristics including: missing or boarded windows or doors; collapsing or missing walls, roof or floor; fire damage; a structurally faulty foundation or foundations; and physical hazards, harboring rodents and infestation, garbage or trash, among others.

City Councilor Michael Ready voiced his support of the ordinance Tuesday, saying it doesn’t change the city’s already existing codes standards, but rather clarifies them in a coherent manner.

“I don’t see there’s anything in here we don’t already have in ordinances someplace else,” he said. “This kind of brings it together.”

Ready did say he wants the city’s government to communicate with property owners to ensure they understand the ordinance’s intent.

“I think particularly in this instance it’s important to not just pass this,” he continued. “We need to make sure that business owners and particularly apartment owners in this district are aware of what we’re trying to do.”

City councilors have said the ordinance is necessary in order to encourage business growth and development in the downtown area — a major focus of the city’s economic development efforts for years.

Particularly vocal has been Councilor Marc Lessard, who stressed at the Feb. 7 council meeting that business development is key to diversifying the city’s tax base.

“If we expect to have businesses come in and invest in downtown Biddeford and locate here, we have to have something that codes (enforcement) can specifically train their eyes on to ensure we don’t have blight in the downtown area that would be counter (to) being able to get business investment here,” he said at the time.

Mayor Alan Casavant said Tuesday he has reached out to several business owners regarding the ordinance, after Councilor Norman Belanger voiced concerns at the last meeting that some property owners might take opposition to the ordinance.

“The feedback that I’m getting is pretty positive,” Casavant said. “I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.