Commercial Maintenance Codes Making Them Work For Your Downtown

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Commercial Maintenance CodesMaking Them Work For
Your Downtown

• North Carolina
• Main Street Conference
• Statesville, North Carolina
• January 28 -29, 2009

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Commercial Maintenance CodesMaking Them Work For
Your Downtown

• Overview of Commercial Maintenance Codes
• Case studies
• Hickory
• Gastonia
• Monroe
• Question and answers

• Speakers
• Michelle Nance, AICP
• Andrea Surratt
• Brian Borne
• Joe Morris, AICP

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Enabling Legislation

• Session Law 2007 - 414
• AN ACT AUTHORIZING MUNICPALITIES TO ADOPT
  ORDINANCES ESTABLISHING A NONRESIDENTIAL BUILDING
  OR STRUCTURE CODE

160A- 439. Ordinance authorized as to repair,
closing and demolition of non-residential
buildings or structures order of public officer.
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Commercial Building Maintenance in the Central
Business District Report to City Council October
16, 2007 Downtown Salisbury, Inc. Randy Hemann,
Executive Director Michael Young, Design Master
Plan Committee
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Commercial Building Maintenance in the Central
Business District

• Overview of the Issue
• Tax Base grown from 31.5 million in 1981 to 72
  million in 2007
• Building values increasing
• Not all buildings will be redeveloped
• Important to maintain mix of buildings with a
  mix of rents

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Commercial Building Maintenance in the Central
Business District

• Overview of the Issue
• Successes
• Challenges

Thank You Revolving Fund Sponsor
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Commercial Building Maintenance in the Central
Business District

• Maintenance Issues
• Safety
• Aesthetics

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Commercial Building Maintenance in the Central
Business District

• Safety Issues
• Windows
• Awnings
• Hazardous
• Conditions

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Commercial Building Maintenance in the Central
Business District

• Safety Issues
• Exterior surfaces
• Roofs

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Commercial Building Maintenance in the Central
Business District

• Aesthetic Issues
• Weeds
• Parking Areas

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Commercial Building Maintenance in the Central
Business District
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City Response

• Researched best practices
• Inventoried and mapped existing conditions
• Created a Code Services Division
• Drafted a code
• Initiate a strategy for code adoption

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City of Hickory

• A Commercial Maintenance Code
• In Progress

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Existing Ordinances

• Nuisance Chapter in the City Code
• Property Maintenance section in the LDC
• Minimum Housing Ordinance
• Still in the process of researching and reviewing
  to develop a commercial maintenance code tailored
  to the City of Hickory

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Hickory Initiatives

• City Council Goals from 2008 Retreat
• HPD Code Enforcement
• Operation No Vacancy

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Downtown
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Hickory Initatives

• City Council Goals from 2008 Retreat
• HPD Code Enforcement
• Operation No Vacancy

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Operation No Vacancy Background and Goals

• Attract reinvestment in distressed commercial and
  industrial corridors
• Encourage new and existing businesses to locate
  in vacant and under-utilized buildings
• Defined Six Targeted Redevelopment Zones for
  redevelopment plans and targeted incentives

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Vacant Building Revitalization Grant Program

• Funding of up to 25,000 per project available to
  Vacant or Under-Utilized buildings in the
  Commercial Revitalization Area
• Dollar for dollar match
• Exterior improvements only
• Can be used for demolition of substandard
  buildings
• High priority Brownfield sites would also be
  eligible, regardless of location
• Redevelopment Committee would review grant
  applications

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HPD Code Enforcement

• Completed move of portion of Code Enforcement out
  of the Planning Department and into HPD.
• HPD will now be responsible for Minimum Housing
  Code Enforcement and Nuisance Code Enforcement
• Overgrown lots
• Junked Abandoned Vehicles
• Trash Junk filled lots
• Noise Ordinance Enforcement
• Parking in the Yard

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PLAN OF ACTION

• The new Code Enforcement Division of HPD is
  comprised of 3 Code Enforcement Officers and 1
  Administrative Support position.
• It is supervised by a Lieutenant out of the
  Office of the Chief of Police.
• The Planning Dept. will retain 5 staff members
  for
• Development Assistance Center
• Sign Enforcement
• Zoning Enforcement
• Special Events Permitting
• ABC Permitting

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COUNCIL GOALS FY 08-09

• Achieve a measurable improvement in Code
  Enforcement results
• Develop a Commercial Abatement Code
• Develop a Graffiti Removal Ordinance
• Develop creative policies, tools and partnerships
  for generating economic growth and opportunities,
  including Operation No Vacancy for redevelopment
  of vacant commercial and industrial sites in the
  city.
• Consider highest and best use for vacant parcels
  in the downtown and support redevelopment of
  underutilized buildings.

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Gastonia, North Carolina

• Case Study
• 111 East Main Avenue

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Commercial Maintenance CodesMaking Them Work For
Your Downtown

• Questions?