BATH

There are 33 vacant buildings in Bath — eight in dire need of attention. Now the city may address the blight with a new ordinance.

“We’ve had a number of complaints about these buildings,” said City Manager Peter Owen. “These are buildings where no one is living in the house.”

If left unattended, vacant homes can become more than just an eyesore. Owen noted vacant homes with broken windows can drive down the value of surrounding properties. They can also be dangerous to emergency workers responding to fires on the property, who might not be aware of a hole in the floor or other states of disrepair that have become hazards.

The ordinance, given unanimous approval by councilors on their first passage, requires vacant homes to have structurally sound roofs and weather tight doors and windows. All exterior structures, including fences and barriers, must be structurally sound.

Under the new ordinance, a placard will be placed at the entrance of vacant homes, warning fire and rescue workers of any hazards on the premises.

“It also will allow us to gain access to them for emergency personnel to take a look at the building and see if there’s anything in there they should know about,” said Code Enforcement Officer Scott Davis. “Some of these buildings the roof is caving in; the one on High Street is missing its floor.”

The ordinance will establish a registry, which will require the owners of vacant buildings to provide contact information for any problems that arise. Davis already keeps an informal list of vacant homes.

Owners must comply with the ordinance within 30 days of being notified that they are in violation of it. Davis said that fines for noncompliance are generally about $100 per day. If the city has to prosecute the owner, the city can recoup their legal expenses as well.

“This will be hitting the high points — the buildings that are real problems in the neighborhood,” said Davis. “I’m not going to go out of my way if someone’s fence is a little wobbly, but if it’s fallen into the neighbor’s driveway, that’s going to get my attention.”

The council will vote on second passage at its regular August meeting.

nstrout@timesrecord.com