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11/08/2018 02:54 PMWhile North Branford has some zoning regulations to help its Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO) address certain blight issues, a new discussion is emerging about what other solutions can be found to address problems including abandoned autos stacking up in yards; hoarding situations, overgrown properties, blighted businesses and foreclosed homes falling into disrepair.
On Nov. 1, resident Bill Savastano spoke to the town's Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) on behalf of a small group of residents who would like the town to consider additional actions to address blight.
"We're a farming community; a beautiful community; and we have very little blight – unless you're living next door to it. And that's the problem," said Savastano.
From a falling-down barn, to a home's tarp-covered garage bulging with bulky waste, to commercial and residential properties embedded with the likes of unused vehicles, uncleared fallen trees, overgrown grass and bushes, Savastono said blight situations can be found not only on some side streets, but on many main routes in town, including Route 80, Route 22 and Route 17. For the past four years, Savastano has been keeping track of blight situations he sees, and looking into what other towns are doing to address them.
Savastano showed the PZC examples of news stories he's found on other towns enacting blight rules, including Ansonia, Milford and Seymour; and spoke about what he's learned from other towns, as well.
"A lot of people are afraid to use the word 'blight,' so East Haven has a Performance Property Standards [ordinance] and it looks just like blight ordinance. So maybe that's something we can take a look at," said Savastano, who also offered to draft a text amendment for review.
Ideas from the group ranged from asking the Town Council to create a blight ordinance, having the PZC pump up current zoning regulations, and forming a "Helping Hands" committee to assist residents who may not be able to clear blight from their property without help.
Savastano said some cases of blight, such as hoarding, can be connected to people who are suffering from behavioral/mental health issues and suggested the town could get assistance from agencies such as BHCare to assist people in those situations. He also suggested sending a team to homes with blight issues, rather than just the town's ZEO on his own. Savastano suggested that team could include representatives from groups such as East Shore District Health Department or local first responder organizations.
Currently, North Branford has no blight enforcement ordinance. Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO) Tom Hogarty said he's working with the Town Attorney on whether to suggest language to either create/amend zoning regulations or to create an ordinance. He said they're discussing something that would "...give us more teeth; something more enforceable."
A proposed zoning regulation or text amendment would be given consideration by the PZC; an ordinance would need to go to the Town Council for review and enactment.
Some towns, such as Wallingford, have blight laws which include a fine system, said Hogarty, who worked for Wallingford in the past.
"It worked really well. I never wrote a single summons. For 500 enforcements, just the threat of a fine was enough. I took a lot of beatings, but it worked," said Hogarty.
In his ZEO activity report to the PZC on Nov. 1, Hogarty noted he had received 15 trash/blight complaints between January - June 2018, a marked increase from the four complaints received during the last activity period (July - December 2017). Hogarty also fielded three unregistered vehicle complaints (two more than that last period) but zero hoarding complaints (he received two between July - December 2017). Hogarty listed several current, "more significant" enforcements and issues involving blight to be: a hoarding issue in which a David Lane property owner was arrested and the case is pending in New Haven Superior Court; a cease and desist order served to property owners involving unregistered vehicles and junk storage at a Venta Drive address, a cease and desist order regarding unregistered vehicles and outdoor storage at a Forest Road address; and cease and desist orders issued due to outdoor storage conditions at two unrelated Foxon Road addresses.
PZC chairman Harry Dulak said the issue of addressing blight should also become part of the town's updated 10-year Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), expected to be complete by the summer of 2019. He noted a POCD community-input survey was launched online on Nov. 1, and while it may not have specific questions regarding blight in the community, "...anyone who wants to make a comment, there is a comment section in [the survey] and we'd want to see them."
Residents can take the POCD Community Survey by visiting www.NBPOCDSurvey.com
In addition, Dulak said, "...maybe there are things we can act upon before that," including Hogarty's current work to review options with the Town Attorney. Dulak also asked Savastano if he could put together a list of "...the top concerns, the first priority, that North Branford should take a look at," for the PZC to review.
"Maybe we can put something together to strengthen our regulations. Maybe it would be incorporating Town Council in some cases. We can do what we can do from our end, take a look at our regulations, and I'm sure Tom is familiar with them and knows which ones we can tweak. But it would also be nice to also have from the community...some of the priorities that you see," said Dulak, speaking to Savastano. "If you put a solid effort into this, it would be greatly appreciated."
Speaking to the PZC on Nov. 1, resident Linda DeFrancesco said she liked the idea of having a committee of people who would be able to get together and help neighbors facing blight situations.
In response, Hogarty said, "...there are a few cases where something like that could work, if you could get a helping hands committee together."
But he's also encountered those who don't want help, he said. Hogarty said he often will check in with people and ask if they'd like help from their neighbors, but more often than not, the answer is 'no.' He said in one case, he offered to bring his pick-up to a man's home on the weekend to take away bulky waste, but that offer was turned down.
"He said no; he needs this stuff," said Hogarty.
Resident Susan Calhumi said she agreed the town needs to recognize the scope of issues which could be leading people to find themselves in blight issues; but something also needs to be done to help the town better address the problem.
"We built a new house in Northford in 2005 and, within about two years, the property that's on our same right of way had really started going to rack and ruin. And when I spoke to the Town Council, there wasn't a lot of sympathy for it. One of the members was very concerned that it would require hiring another person to enforce. And at the time, the point that I was trying to make is that there are varying degrees of this. Yes, there are people who won't accept help. But, there are an awful lot of people who, things start to get ahead of them," said Gualume. "When we saw the property in front of us starting to go downhill, it struck terror; because this is our retirement home and we can't afford to lose money. We were lucky. They moved and sold the house to somebody else."
Resident Donna Pursley suggested approaching the issue of blight in town by doing the "more important things first," such as contacting property owners of blighted businesses in high visibility areas. She also suggested approaching commerical owners of properties where problems exist, such as some along Route 80, as a possible a next step of the "First Impressions" program of the Economic Development Committee. She said other groups, from Boy Scouts to churches, could also be approached to possibly assist residents who need help with property upkeep.
Speaking to Zip06/The Sound following the meeting, Hogarty said the town does have its share of blight and getting it cleaned up is one of the toughest enforcements to enact.
Hogarty said he currently goes after the "worst offenders" by opting to issue arrest warrants through the housing court, which doesn't incur attorney's costs for the town. He said a drawback to going through housing court is that it takes an extensive amount of time for cases to addressed through the housing court process.