City Beat: Council considers revisiting downtown building codes

Owners of boarded-up buildings in downtown Springfield may have to pay the city to keep them that way. Springfield City Council considered a bill at its Sept. 29 meeting aimed at beautifying a number of vacant eyesores in center city by requiring permits for buildings with boarded-up windows.

The ordinance, an amendment to the Building Code, would impose a $400 permit fee, to be renewed every six months.

_The basic thrust of this would be that (owners) would be required to get a permit to board up a building,_ City Manager Tom Finnie told council.

Finnie also outlined conditions for the permits:

_ buildings must be weather tight with sound roof and wall structures; and

_ street level windows must have glass because they cannot be boarded up.

The Department of Building Develop-ment Services would be responsible for inspections.

_This is an ordinance that is based on the success that we_ve had with the residential boarded-up building process,_ Finnie said.

The city began the residential program in 2001. _We are doing this on a pilot basis _ in the downtown area in order to get experience with it,_ Finnie added. The pilot area is bounded by Campbell Avenue, Walnut Street, Kimbrough Avenue and Water Street.

The ordinance has been reviewed by the Urban Districts Alliance and the city_s Government Relations Committee. Both groups approved the bill.

Two members of the public spoke in favor of the bill.

_I think the more attention that is brought to downtown Springfield, the more businesses we can attract from the south side,_ said Sidney Ray, who recently moved her gift-box business into a vacant building at 210 S. Campbell Ave. Ray leases the space from Sean McKay. _I hope that the fees that are imposed go toward beautifying downtown Springfield._

Councilman Denny Whayne assured her it would. _We_re not trying to generate funds; we_re trying to beautify the city._

Finnie said the permit fees would recover city costs.

According to the ordinance, most of the structures within the boundary were built under different building codes and include historic buildings, which should be preserved.

If a structure is without a valid boarded-up building permit for more than 30 days, it will be declared a public nuisance, and the owner will be given notice to abate the property. Should the owner fail to do so, the city will bring the building up to code at the owner_s expense.

_The goal is to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the community is protected by having these multistory structures _ retain their structural integrity,_ said Nick Heatherly, director of Building Development Services. _To do that, they need to have somebody taking a look at them periodically._

City Council will vote on the measure Oct.13.

Robberson Alley improvements

A center city streetscape project partially funded by the city and partially funded by two downtown groups could brighten a bleak corridor that links parking lots and downtown businesses.

Council approved a bill for improvements to Robberson Alley, which runs north and south one block east of the square, between Water and Elm streets. Improvements, expected to cost approximately $250,000, would make Robberson Alley a pedestrian walkway, connecting adjacent parking lots to downtown businesses.

_We think it will be a real positive for improving what right now is a pretty ugly area,_ Finnie said, referring to the narrow, dilapidated alley running between Gallery Bistro and Vandivort Center.

The boards of directors of Downtown Springfield Association and Urban Districts Alliance have agreed to reimburse the city half of the improvement cost _ not to exceed $125,000 _ with future Community Development Block Grant funds.

Recommendations _ part of a concept developed by Butler Rosenbury & Partners _ include resurfacing the alley with a stamped-and-stained concrete pathway and pedestrian lighting. Also, signs indicating that Robberson Alley leads to parking and downtown activities would bookend the alley.

If approved, paving work would begin within a couple of weeks; the new lighting and design would begin next year, Finnie said.