Rossville targets deteriorating buildings

A new ordinance in Rossville would allow the city to order repairs be made to dilapidated buildings or to eventually demolish them if the owners do not comply.

The Rossville City Council this week unanimously adopted Ordinance 440, which officials say will help cut down on blight, but opponents worry will set a dangerous precedent.

Burned-out and caved-in buildings pockmark city maps, and the city has been trying to do something about them for years, Councilman Nathan Bain said.

"When you come through Rossville, it's easy to see them," he said.

Vice Mayor Teddy Harris said the ordinance should force some property owners to take care of their land and should boost the value of nearby property.

"It's for these slumlords that will not keep their houses up," he said. "It's going to help the way our neighborhood looks."

On Wednesday, Mayor Johnny Baker said the ordinance was the "missing link" in his city's efforts to clean up its neighborhoods. He said he knows of at least a dozen buildings that have been abandoned and are caving in.

"There's no one living in these places; they've just moved off," the mayor said.

Jessica Cagle, who runs the Peerless Mill in Rossville, said she agrees that there are buildings that need to be torn down, but worries the ordinance could be applied to the mill.

The 27-acre mill has been a point of contention between the city and owner Les Coffey since 2007. Mr. Coffey says the city wants his property and has trumped up accusations and denied business licenses to try to bankrupt him.

City leaders say Mr. Coffey has refused to work with zoning officials to zone his land properly and has ignored environmental guidelines. Parts of the 105-year-old building are in need of repair because of deterioration and a 1967 fire, they said.

"They could absolutely come over with that ordinance and demolish this whole thing, this whole historic building," Ms. Cagle said.

The ordinance states that a code enforcement officer will look for fire hazards, defects likely to cause an accident, dilapidation, disrepair, structural problems, uncleanliness and a lack of ventilation, light and sanitation.

She said the mayor gave her a copy of the ordinance and asked her to highlight portions of it that she thought were too vague so the wording might be revised.

Mr. Harris acknowledged the issues between the mill and the city, but he said the ordinance's intentions and the council's goal have nothing to do with the mill. He also said the city wasn't planning on bulldozing anyone's house.

"We're compassionate people," he said. "We're not going to kick anybody out of their house."

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