LAFAYETTE, Ga. – Walker County code enforcement workers will now be able to tear down old and run-down buildings.
Commissioner Shannon Whitfield signed an ordinance change, creating laws that give the county authority to destroy buildings that are a public nuisance. Whitfield said blight was the biggest concern among residents during his listening tour of community meetings throughout the county last month.
Walker County Commissioner Shannon Whitefield speaks to citizens gathered at the Walker County/LaFayette Public Library. Walker County Commissioner Shannon Whitfield held a public hearing on a proposed tax increase at the Walker County/LaFayette Public Library on August 17, 2017.“They are not only an eyesore, but they are also a safety concern in our community,” Whitfield said of blighted buildings. “And they are also devaluing people’s property.”
The county has several definitions for what makes a building a public nuisance. They include properties that are unfit for human habitation because of inadequate light, ventilation, air or open spaces. They also include abandoned buildings, faded or chipped paint, broken windows, missing siding and scraps of wood covering the doors and windows.
The county can also declare a building a public nuisance if it’s the location of repeated crimes – though the local government has to give the property owner written notice first.